Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) President Kieron Edwards has embraced the opportunity for the Soca Warriors to participate in the Unity Cup this May, as he viewed it as a crucial step in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

The Soca Warriors will face Jamaica's Reggae Boyz as well as African giants Nigeria and Ghana in the four-team tournament in London, England, a competition designed to provide high-level match exposure ahead of their must-win World Cup qualifier against St Kitts and Nevis on June 6.

“Next up on the agenda is the Unity Cup in May. The idea is to have high-level opposition for the team’s preparation for the World Cup qualifier on June 6 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium," Edwards said.

The tournament format will see Trinidad and Tobago take on Jamaica in their opening game on May 27, while Nigeria battles Ghana. The winners of both matches will then face off in the final on May 31, while the losers will play for third place.

Edwards emphasized the importance of these competitive fixtures, particularly in providing head coach Dwight Yorke with an opportunity to fine-tune the squad as the tournament comes on the heels of Trinidad and Tobago’s successful Gold Cup qualification.

"Qualifying for the Gold Cup was important, so I think that would give us some quality matches in June and July, as top teams in CONCACAF have qualified for the Gold Cup, so the World Cup would be a very competitive one," he said.

“It will give Coach Yorke another opportunity to see the guys, get different compositions together, get the look in for different guys, and give Coach Yorke enough match practice. Having those games in England would do that as well because Jamaica should be at full strength, as well as Ghana and Nigeria, so it would give the guys a good run-in, and it would continue the process that coach Yorke has for the team to get to the 2026 World Cup,” Edwards explained.

Currently, the Soca Warriors sit second in Group B of World Cup qualifying with four points from two games. After a disappointing 2-2 draw with Grenada, they rebounded in emphatic fashion with a 7-1 demolition of the Bahamas. With only the top two teams in the group advancing, every upcoming match will be critical.