Sports
Jonathan Ramnanansingh
Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Wayne Frederick II believes preparation and self-belief will be vital to reviving their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign when their quest resumes away to Bermuda and Curacao on October 10 and 14.
Frederick, who earned his first international start in TT’s 2–0 defeat to Jamaica in their last World Cup qualifier last month, said the next few days of preparation will be crucial as the team seeks to bounce back. TT are currently in a training camp in Miami, under head coach Dwight Yorke, ahead of their anticipated clash. They are expected to arrive in Bermuda on October 8.
Frederick II confirmed that the squad is in a good headspace as they climax preparations before taking on the hosts at the Bermuda National Stadium, from 6 pm (TT time).
“It’s crucial,” he said. “We need to figure out what our game plan is, get on the same page again, because you only have a few days before the game. You don’t get to spend a lot of time together, so just learning each other. We’ve had a couple camps, so it’s getting better, but I think this camp, these couple days are crucial, especially into these two big games, we need to get some great results in these games.” The midfielder said the outcome of these matches depends on the players’ commitment to the game plan. He said that with proper preparation, training hard, following the coaches’ instructions, and fully committing, the team will be in a strong position for the Bermuda and Curacao tests.
After two matches, TT sit third (one point) on the Concacaf final round group B standings, having salvaged a point from a 0-0 result against Curacao, but then going down 2-0 to Jamaica. Victories in the coming two matches bolster their chances of securing a coveted place at the 2026 World Cup.
Frederick welcomed the strong form of several teammates plying their trade in the US and Canadian leagues, saying it adds confidence and quality to the national setup.
“It means a lot. For those guys to be catching that type of form is great. They come into camp having played games, scoring goals, full of confidence, so that leads to great results coming here. They show that level in training, they show us the work that they’ve been putting in, I think it just helps everybody work at it more.”
Reflecting on his starting debut against Jamaica, Frederick thanked Yorke for trusting him in such a high-profile game. “It was a great game. I think we showed that we had some quality out there. I think that (starting debut) just gives me more confidence going into this camp and the next camp going forward.” Likewise, midfielder Molik Khan, who was one of four changes made to Yorke’s 26-man squad from the last FIFA window, has been recalled to the national set up for the pair of away matches. Khan, who is now based in Slovakia, received the call-up alongside striker Isaiah Lee, goalkeeper Jabari Brice and uncapped Dutch-based right back Deron Payne. Neither Khan nor Payne has ever featured under Yorke, with the latter potentially set to make his international debut.
Khan said he is eager to make a meaningful contribution to TT’s World Cup qualifying campaign. “It’s a good feeling to play for the national team. It’s something I take a lot of pride in and an honour. I have a really good feeling being back here (in the team). I’m happy to wear this jersey once again,” he said. Khan is confident the current squad has what it takes to bounce back from a shaky start to their final round of World Cup qualifiers.
“The squad is good. I know a lot of the guys… and my first time representing the squad under Dwight. So I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
Looking ahead to the upcoming matches, Khan added, “I think once we play our style and do everything that we are told, everything that we train, I think we’ll have a very good chance and that we’ll win these games.” As it stands, TT are grouped alongside Bermuda, Curacao and Jamaica (group B) alongside Suriname, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama (group A) and Honduras, Costa Rica, Haiti and Nicaragua (group C).
Each group plays round-robin home and away matches, with the three group winners earning automatic World Cup qualification. The two-best ranked runners-up will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs for a final chance of qualifying.
