2 months ago
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T&T’s Senior Men’s Football Team head coach, Dwight Yorke, has declared that his squad will be prepared for the daunting challenge of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month, while simultaneously issuing a stern dismissal of the external noise from critics.
The former T&T captain spoke candidly on the pressing issues facing the national team during his appearance on i95.5fm’s ‘6 to 26 World Cup’ podcast, hosted by Andre Errol Baptiste and Tony Lee, which aired on Wednesday.
Concacaf’s third and final round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying is set to kick off on September 5 with T&T hosting Curaçao in Port-of-Spain, followed by a massive clash against regional rivals Jamaica in Kingston on September 9.
Speaking on the podcast, Yorke acknowledged the significant hurdles ahead but projected an air of determined confidence.
“We will be ready. But the challenge will be to gather the players under one roof and ensure they stay fit and healthy during that time. We are now in the middle of August, and they have about three or four games to play before arriving at camp.”
FIFA’s next international break runs from September 1-9; however, Yorke revealed he will have just ten days to work with his players ahead of the two vital international matches, a period he admits is a race against time to instil his tactical philosophy.
This critically short preparation window is compounded by the logistical dilemma of factoring in the time it may take for Yorke’s overseas-based players to arrive in Trinidad.
“The key factor is your home games,” Yorke said. He continued by outlining his approach to the qualifying group, “Ideally, we want to go through this campaign unbeaten, not relatively draws, but you have to take care of your home games and that’s the basic.”
Following the next month’s clash with Curacao, T&T faces a stretch of three games in foreign territory, starting with the trip to Jamaica on September 9, followed by back-to-back away games in the following window against Bermuda (October 10) and a return leg against the Dutch-islanders (October 14).
“T&T have one game at home and three away games. Since I have taken over, the team has played away from home 90 per cent of the time,” said Yorke.
In 12 games under Yorke’s management since he took charge in November 2024, T&T has played just two matches at home and won both, compared to ten matches away from home.
These included three in the group stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup, which was held in the USA, and two matches at the Unity Cup tournament, which was played in the UK. Those games on the road have resulted in six defeats, one win, and three draws.
Addressing the constant chatter from pundits and fans questioning his squad selections, Yorke was unequivocal in his response, drawing on his extensive experience at the highest level of the sport.
“I was hired to do a job, and it’s my job to pick the team. What we consider external, we shut the noise out. We know people will have their opinion, and criticism is part of the fabric in this part of the world, and it’s nothing new to me.
“I don’t take a lot of notice of the media, but I hear what’s going around. What is important to me is that internally everyone is on the same page and on the same goal, which is to qualify for the World Cup.”
That goal, however, is a formidable one. Yorke fully recognises the quality of the opposition that stands in his team’s way, with both immediate opponents holding a higher FIFA ranking.
“Curaçao and Jamaica are ranked above us, and the realisation is that this is a challenge by itself. I don’t say it lightly, but we have to be at our best, and the expectation is high.” (CMC)
English (US) ·