4 days ago
2
Sport Correspondent
It was soca versus reggae at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, both on the pitch and in the surrounding stands.
From as early as six o’clock yesterday evening, music was heard emanating from the loudspeakers.
The must-win World Cup qualifier between T&T and Jamaica drew supporters from all across the country and was also an opportunity for former teammates to be reacquainted.
Former standout defender Ancil Elcock was able to catch up with former midfielder, and now parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Sport, David Nakhid.
Strike Squad members Hutson “Barber” Charles and the dreadlocked Brian Williams were in the stands to support their former teammates, Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, now the respective coach and assistant coach.
In addition, former players from a younger generation—goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams and Kerwyn “Hardest” Jemmott—were also in the stadium, throwing their support behind the 2026 World Cup participants.
Although he made his name in another sport, World record-holder for the highest Test individual score, Brian Lara, a close friend of Yorke and Latapy, was there to lend his support.
However, the house DJ missed the plot when he blasted Bob Marley’s One Love as the teams emerged from the tunnel to warm up on the field.
A sports journalist from the Observer in Jamaica was puzzled as to why the DJ would ‘accommodate’ the Jamaicans to make them feel at home.
When asked if soca was played at the National Stadium in Kingston in the first meeting at Jamaica’s National Stadium, dubbed The Office, he answered with a resounding, “No.”
However, that was the only time reggae was played, as soca dominated the stadium afterwards.
A mini concert provided entertainment before the match, as supporters were making their way into the stadium.
The mini show was a precursor to the after-party.
The Jamaican support was sprinkled across the venue, with several visitors expressing their confidence in a Reggae Boyz win.
One Jamaican, with his companion, said a World Cup qualification for Jamaica would mean a lot to the country after the destruction of Hurricane Melissa.
He was also confident of T&T’s support for the aid effort, with donation boxes located at strategic points in the venue to help rebuild the country that gave the world Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks, and Usain Bolt.
Jamaican support was also very strong in the VIP section with the Jamaica Football Federation president, Michael Ricketts, and head of the Technical Committee, Rudolph Speid.
Accompanying them was Cricket West Indies chief executive officer, Jamaican Chris Dehring, who put aside his cricket responsibilities to support Jamaican football.
By the time it was close to kick-off, the sprinkling of Jamaican yellow and green was overwhelmed by the “Trini” red.
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