Kevon Woodley in training.
T&T Newsday
Veteran Kevon Woodley is poised to make his much-anticipated debut in the Concacaf Nations League for Trinidad and Tobago, as he was named to Derek King’s 23-man squad to tackle League A opponents Honduras and French Guiana.
King, who was appointed on an interim basis after Angus Eve’s dismissal, is now charged with moving the senior Soca Warriors program forward and his selections for the September 6 and 10 contests signals a commitment of continuity and team chemistry.
Having served as an assistant to Eve, King’s squad features a core of players who were part of the former tactician’s squad that drew with Grenada and defeated Bahamas in their World Cup qualifying fixtures in June.
King’s side, which is without Greece-based forward Levi Garcia and Ajani Fortune, who are both unavailable, will travel to Honduras for Friday’s engagement before returning home to host French Guiana at the Dwight Yorke Stadium four days later.
Despite the absence of Garcia and Fortune, King remains confident in the strength and depth of the squad, which, along with Woodley, includes the likes of forward Reon Moore, defender Andre Raymond, box-to-box midfielder Andre Rampersad and goalie Denzil Smith.
“The team we’ve selected is one that has shown great potential and cohesion over the past few months. As we begin our group-stage campaign, the selected players are fit, focused and ready to perform at their best and I have been in discussion with each player about their expectations and responsibilities,” King said in a TTFA media release.
Woodley, 38, earned his Nations League call-up three months after earning his first senior Soca Warriors cap, as he has enjoyed good form for local club Police FC, including scoring a delightful header in a 1-4 Concacaf Caribbean Cup loss to Jamaica's Cavalier FC on August 29.
King pointed out that professionalism and hard work were key components in his selections.
“While it is never easy to narrow down the squad, I believe the players chosen are the ones who will help us navigate these two important fixtures successfully,” King declared.
“We need to be professional and disciplined in our approach and recognise the challenge of playing away from home in our opening match. It will be important that we maintain a high level of professionalism and remain focused throughout,” he added.
The Soca Warriors will depart for Honduras on Tuesday with last year’s campaign, which ended at the quarterfinal, at the top of their minds as they seek to replicate or even better that feat.
Trinidad and Tobago Squad -Christopher Biggette (Defence Force); Aubrey David (Deportivo Municipal); Triston Hodge (Hartford Athletic); Isaiah Lee (La Horquetta Rangers); Leland Archer (Charleston Battery); Andre Raymond (St Johnstone FC); Ryan Telfer (Halifax Wanderers); Duane Muckette (AC Port of Spain); Nathaniel James (Mount Pleasant FA); Real Gill (Northern Colorado Hailstorm); Daniel Phillips (Stevenage); Steffen Yeates (Pacific FC), Reon Moore (Pacific FC); Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC); Dantaye Gilbert (Jong PSV); Alvin Jones (Police FC); Justin Garcia (Defence Force); Andre Rampersad (Halifax Wanderers); Noah Powder (Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC);
Kaile Auvray (Cavalier FC), Aaron Enill (Montego Bay United); Denzil Smith (AC Port of Spain); Kevon Woodley (Police FC)
Chelsea confirm Angelo exit to Al-Nassr in £19.4m transfer
Angelo Gabriel has completed a permanent transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr from Chelsea.
Angelo has signed a five-year contract with the Saudi outfit, who are captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, for a reported £19.4million transfer fee.
Chelsea have also included a sell-on clause as part of their agreement with Al-Nassr.
The 19-year-old Brazilian arrived at Stamford Bridge last year from Santos in a £13m deal, but spent last campaign on loan with Strasbourg.
He made 25 appearances in all competitions, notching four assists, but only 11 of his 22 league outings came as starts as he missed the end of the term with a groin injury.
Angelo became the 11th permanent departure from the club as the Blues ended their transfer window with a net spend of £46.5m.
Chelsea confirm Angelo exit to Al Nassr in £19.4m move
Angelo Gabriel has completed a permanent transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr from Chelsea.
Angelo has signed a five-year contract with the Saudi outfit, who are captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, for a reported £19.4million transfer fee.
Chelsea have also included a sell-on clause as part of their agreement with Al-Nassr.
The 19-year-old Brazilian arrived at Stamford Bridge last year from Santos in a £13m deal, but spent last campaign on loan with Strasbourg.
He made 25 appearances in all competitions, notching four assists, but only 11 of his 22 league outings came as starts as he missed the end of the term with a groin injury.
Angelo became the 11th permanent departure from the club as the Blues ended their transfer window with a net spend of £46.5m.
Lewis creates British history with Sao Paulo loan move
Jamal Lewis has become the first British player to sign for Sao Paulo as his season-long loan move from Newcastle United was confirmed on Tuesday.
Lewis, who spent last season with Watford in the Championship, has signed with the Brazilian side for the upcoming campaign with a view to make the move permanent.
The Northern Ireland international made 36 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle following his £15million move from Norwich in 2020.
But Lewis fell quickly out of favour, and during the 2021-22 Premier League season, was even omitted from the 25-player squad list for the remainder of the term.
The 26-year-old's final appearance for the Magpies came as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the 2023, but he expressed his excitement about his new chapter.
"When I heard about this opportunity, I told my manager straight away that I'd like to come to Brazil," Lewis said in a statement on Sao Paulo's website.
"It's an honour to play for a giant like Sao Paulo and be the first British player in the club's history.
"It's an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I'm looking forward to meeting the fans and contributing to the team."
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