1 month ago
16
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
Former Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) goalkeeper Shaka Hislop fully expects the Soca Warriors to feature at the 2026 Fifa World Cup under the leadership of head coach Dwight Yorke and his assistant, Russell Latapy.
The 55-year-old Hislop, who made 26 appearances for T&T and was a member of the team that qualified for the 2006 World Cup, believes the combination of Yorke and Latapy will produce positive results for the national team.
Yorke was appointed head coach in November 2024 and subsequently named Latapy as part of his coaching staff.
Shortly after his appointment, the Trinidad & Tobago Football Association (TTFA) gave Yorke a mandate of qualifying for the World Cup or risk being replaced.
However, Hislop, who also played in the English Premier League and currently serves as a commentator for ESPN, said he did not expect Yorke would have taken the job if he did not feel he would be successful.
He said while qualification would not be easy, he was optimistic they would take part in the tournament scheduled to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“Yes, of course it adds pressure in terms of what’s the expectations, but I will say no, in that I don’t think Dwight took this job for any other reason but to qualify for the World Cup.
“He will be as disappointed as anybody if Trinidad & Tobago doesn’t qualify for the World Cup, so while there is pressure, I don’t think it’s any more than Dwight would have already had on himself,” Hislop said during an interview on I95.5 FM on Thursday.
Hislop, admitted that while Latapy did not have success as a head coach, he paired perfectly with Yorke in his role as an assistant.
“His football intellect, we saw that in him as a player. Now maybe it didn’t translate as a head coach, but as an assistant, I think he complements Dwight’s skillset wonderfully well,” he said.
“I think the pairing of those two will do wonders for our football and I’m looking forward at what’s to come.”
English (US) ·