T&T’s senior footballers arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, yesterday for their upcoming friendly international against Jamaica at the National Stadium tomorrow night.

Head coach Francisco Maturana and captain Aurtis Whitley led the rest of the team in an evening training session at Tivoli Gardens and will have a final rehearsal at the match venue this evening.Jamaica’s head coach Rene Simoes indicated that he was going all out in the encounter which over the years has been billed as one where bragging rights is a major priority.

 The Jamaicans qualified for the 1998 World Cup and T&T performed a similar feat in 2006. The last time these two teams met, Jamaica came away 2-1 winners in a Digicel Cup encounter in 2004. Jamaica also won the two previous World Cup qualifying meetings 1-0 and 2-1. Simoes was at the helm of the T&T team in the second encounter played at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair.

With Jamaica having the majority of its heavyweights for tomorrow’s match, T&T suffered a double blow with the news that both Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards will not be available for the match.

The Sunderland medical staff, in communication with T&T team Doctor Terrence Babwah and team administrator David Muhammad explained that Jones was still recovering from a virus and was unfit to travel.

Sunderland physiotherapist Peter Friar, in a letter to the T&T management, stated that Edwards suffered a groin problem in training on Friday. However he was declared fit and managed to play 67 minutes for Sunderland in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

Babwah requested an MRI of the injury as well as an independent examination as has occurred in the past. A medical doctor in Birmingham has been used by the T&T Football Federation (TTFF) for similar cases with players during the 2006 World Cup qualification.

However, Sunderland refused, stating that it was unnecessary for Edwards to undergo the MRI as well as get an independent assessment.

A Fifa ruling states that in such instances, the country’s governing body can enforce action whereby the player does not take part in training or in a match over a five-day period following the date of the match he was requested to be released for.

The TTFF has gone ahead with that request through Fifa and both players will not be eligible to play for Sunderland in Saturday’s match against West Ham United.

Maturana admitted his disappointment on not having both players available.

“It is sad that they will not be here because they are a very big part of the plans for the country just as they are for their club,” Maturana said yesterday.

Charleston Battery striker Randi Patterson, fresh from scoring a double over Toronto FC on the weekend, joined the team yesterday in Kingston and Collin Samuel, Jan Michael Williams and striker Darryl Roberts were scheduled to arrive later yesterday. Defender Osei Telesford will join the team at the Pegasus Hotel this morning. Kick off is at 8 pm (T&T time).

Source: T&T Guardian - March 25th, 2008