Liverpool loanee Adam Lewis has been flooded with messages to send Manchester United out of the FA Cup at Newport and says he has been in contact with “good mate” Mason Mount about it.

Left-back Lewis is in his second temporary spell at League Two Newport and will be thrust into the spotlight on Sunday when United make their first trip to Rodney Parade for a fourth round tie.

Ever since Newport eased past Eastleigh in their third-round replay, Lewis says his phone has not stopped pinging with messages from his native Merseyside insisting Liverpool’s bitter rivals are dumped out of the cup.

“I’ve had tons of messages this week saying ‘Get stuck into them’ and make sure you win,” said the 24-year-old, who has had previous loan spells at Livingston, Plymouth and Amiens in France.

“I’m just waiting for one off the boss (Jurgen Klopp) now, he might drop me one hopefully before Sunday.

“I’ve played with (United midfielder) Mason Mount a lot at international level with England, from the under-16s through to the under-19s.

“He’s a good mate of mine and I spoke to him the other day to see if he was playing. I was trying to get some inside information, but he wasn’t giving me any.”

Lewis grew up in Walton close to Liverpool’s home Anfield and chose to join his boyhood heroes over neighbours Everton at the age of six.

He played in the same Croxteth Park Sunday League team and went to the same Rainhill High School as Trent Alexander-Arnold – “I always knew he was going to be a player, being captain of the Under-18s when he was about 15 or 16 says it all” – and made his way through the various youth groups at Anfield.

Lewis is certainty no stranger to Liverpool-United games and the intensity the fixture brings.

He said: “It was always good to beat them because even at youth level that rivalry is always there.

“I remember when Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were playing for Liverpool and the tackles they were throwing in.

“It just works its way down from the first team – and you feel you want to be like that.

“To play against them professionally when it matters is more important. United are one of the biggest teams in the world, even though I hate to say that, but you’ve got to believe you can win.

“It’s the FA Cup for a reason and there’s always upsets. Look at how far Grimsby got last year.”

Whatever happens at Rodney Parade, Lewis is hoping to make one trip to Wembley this season after Liverpool reached next month’s Carabao Cup final.

“I was part of pre-season and there with the team when we got beat on penalties in the Community Shield by Manchester City (in 2019),” said Lewis.

“I haven’t been to a game for some while now because I’ve been down in Newport. But it would be great to get there and see us win another trophy.”

Aston Villa’s Leander Dendoncker has joined Napoli on loan for the rest of the season.

The midfielder moves to the defending Serie A champions as they struggle to retain their title, sitting ninth and 21 points off leaders Juventus.

He has made 15 appearances for Villa this season, scoring once, having joined from Wolves in 2022.

Aston Villa’s Leander Dendoncker has joined Napoli on loan for the rest of the season.

The midfielder moves to the defending Serie A champions as they struggle to retain their title, sitting ninth and 21 points off leaders Juventus.

He has made 15 appearances for Villa this season, scoring once, having joined from Wolves in 2022.

Kalvin Phillips has completed his loan move from Manchester City to West Ham, the clubs have announced.

The England midfielder will spend the rest of the season at the London Stadium.

The 28-year-old has been frustrated by a lack of game time at City since joining the club from Leeds in the summer of 2022.

Phillips told the Hammers’ website: “I’m really pleased to be here. There’s always been a lot of speculation about me moving to West Ham, so I’m really excited to get going now.

“There’s so much to look forward to in the second half of the season for the club and I can’t wait to be part of it.

“There’s an unbelievable group here and if I can come in and add the quality that I know I’m capable of, I’m sure we can give the West Ham fans plenty to be excited about between now and the end of the season.”

It had been reported the deal could include an option for West Ham to buy the player in the summer but it is understood that was not included in the final agreement.

Former Arsenal defender Gavin Hoyte says leading non-league Maidstone into a historic FA Cup fourth-round tie at Ipswich will be among the greatest moments of his career.

The National League South club – the lowest-ranked team remaining in the competition – have reached this stage for the first time since they were reformed in 1992.

Stones captain Hoyte made four first-team appearances for the Gunners under Arsene Wenger in 2008, including one Premier League outing, while his international career with Trinidad and Tobago saw him line up against an Argentina side containing Lionel Messi.

“This is completely different, we’ve had six games just before this (to reach this stage), so it all builds up,” said the 33-year-old, who joined Maidstone from Dagenham in 2019.

“I get to lead the team out – hopefully I’m playing!

“It’s definitely up there, the biggest thing in my career. I’m coming near the end of it now so I might not get this opportunity again.

“These games are easy to get up for. You’ve just got to make sure everyone is sticking to the game plan and not going off script.

“Sometimes with a big occasion you might want to do something extra but it’s very important we stick to the script.”

Following three FA Cup qualifying fixtures, Maidstone overcame Chesham in round one before upsetting Sky Bet League Two club Barrow and then League One side Stevenage.

The Kent club’s reward is Saturday lunchtime’s televised tie against the Tractor Boys, who sit second in the Championship, with just under 4,500 away fans due to make the trip to Portman Road.

Stones midfielder Sam Corne scored in the two previous rounds and is once again relishing underdog status.

“This is something you always dream of, to play against a top, top side,” said Corne.

“When we played the lower league sides, sometimes they’re the tougher opponents and then when we flipped it to Barrow and Stevenage, we’re the underdog and we still are now and we thrive off that.

“We’ve got nothing to lose. As long as we give a good account of ourselves and stick to the game plan, anything can possibly happen.”

Manager George Elokobi took charge of Maidstone on a permanent basis in March 2023 and has guided the club to fourth place in the sixth tier, in addition to a memorable cup run.

The 37-year-old former Wolves defender will be proud of his squad regardless of the outcome in Suffolk.

“The players, what they’ve done is magical, the magnitude of that result (against Stevenage) has put this community on the map in the eyes of the world,” said Elokobi.

“We would be foolish to change how we have done things in the past just because it’s Ipswich.

“We’re showing them every bit of respect and we know if we’re not on our absolute best on the day then it might be disastrous.

“But even if it is disastrous, we’re going to be proud of our group of players.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp joked his close friend David Wagner asked him to make major changes for Norwich’s visit to Anfield in the FA Cup.

Klopp and Wagner have known each other more than 25 years – Wagner was best man at his wedding – after being team-mates at Mainz but more recently have found themselves on opposite sides of the technical area.

Wagner was manager for Huddersfield’s brief stay in the Premier League but lost all three matches against Liverpool.

Now he brings the Canaries to Anfield for a fourth-round tie on Sunday looking for a favour he knows he will not get from his long-time friend.

“We had already conversations about it. He asked me for massive rotation. I told him that doesn’t help, obviously,” said Klopp of Wagner’s request to face a weakened team.

“It’s cool to have the game. When he worked at Huddersfield, he watched a lot of games here in the stadium, when they didn’t play he was here, and now he’s back.

“We didn’t see each other for a long time, the next time probably would have been in the summer, so now it’s good to catch up and to lock horns again.”

Wagner has a 40 per cent win ratio since taking over at Carrow Road last January but, after a sticky patch between September and November when his side won just twice, he has got them back in form.

Wednesday’s defeat to fellow Championship promotion-chasers Leeds was only their fourth loss in 16 matches.

“(He did a) really good job but a really difficult job. I think the start of the season was really good and then they lose more or less their offensive department and that’s when they struggled a bit,” said Klopp.

“Now they are in touching distance of the play-off spots and they obviously have big games coming up.

“The Championship season itself is already pretty intense but if you have a longer FA Cup run in it, it’s obviously very similar to a very successful Premier League season with international football or something like that, because of the amount of teams in the league and the amount of games you have.

“I follow it as much as I can because I’m just interested in everything he is doing.”

What the papers say

Newcastle could look to sell striker Callum Wilson, who has scored seven goals for the Magpies in the Premier League this season, for just £18million before the January transfer window closes, the Standard reports. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have been alerted to the potential sale of the 31-year-old.

The Mirror says United manager Erik ten Hag is interested in Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and Ajax striker Brian Brobbey but is no longer in control of transfers.

Wolves have hit a hurdle in their pursuit of Chelsea striker Armando Broja as they try to come in line with Premier League spending rules, according to the Daily Mail.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Morgan Rogers: The Middlesbrough forward is ready to join Aston Villa despite his club rejecting two bids for the move, the Daily Mail reports.

Daniel Munoz: Crystal Palace are reportedly close to signing the 27-year-old Colombian right-back from Belgian team Genk, according to the South London Press.

NewCo CEO Nikki Doucet says her organisation is exploring “all possible options” in negotiating a new broadcast deal for the Women’s Super League and Championship as the top two tiers of English women’s football prepare to operate under an independent entity.

From next season, the leagues will be run under club-owned structure NewCo, with the FA also having what the organisation’s chief revealed will be a “special” share similar to its agreement with the Premier League.

An independent review of the women’s game led by former England international Karen Carney, recommended women’s football establish its own dedicated broadcast slot, suggesting the “obvious gap” would be 3pm on Saturday, which would require an exemption from or amendment to the historic blackout restrictions.

Asked about the likelihood of that happening, Doucet, speaking at Wembley Stadium, said: “I think the barrier is Article 48 (of the UEFA statutes), which encompasses all of football, and that’s how everything is governed in this market at the moment. We’re exploring.

“The Karen Carney review said women’s football needs to figure out its own point of view. So we’re exploring what that looks like. We’re trying to explore every possible opportunity and figure out what the market’s willing to do. We’re looking at every possibility and trying to understand that we’re part of a whole football eco-system.”

In 2021, the FA brokered a three-year deal with Sky and the BBC understood to be worth £24million but the women’s game has since experienced exponential audience and commercial growth, particularly following England’s Euro 2022 victory.

Doucet, appointed to lead NewCo in November after serving as a consultant on the transition, was previously general manager of Nike Women UK & Ireland and also worked with Citigroup Global Markets.

The Canadian revealed her team are balancing “reach and revenue” as they negotiate a new agreement, explaining: “I think, more than anything, it should just be as easy as possible for fans to be able to watch the league or the team or the player they want to. How we can do that is what we’re exploring.”

There were calls from some, including Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, to consider a closed league but Doucet confirmed NewCo would remain committed to a promotion-and-relegation structure, while the Continental Tyres League Cup will also remain next season.

Doucet could not provide details about the organisation’s governance structure or board make-up but believes the takeover will be transformational for the women’s game.

While Carney has suggested women’s football has the potential to become a £1 billion industry, Doucet said she doesn’t want to “put numbers out there”, wondering aloud why, with the right foundations and strategies in place, “couldn’t it be bigger?”

She added: “We’re kind of going from, and I don’t mean this disrespectfully because we would not be here without the FA, being within a governing body to a stand-alone, revenue-generating for profit, independent entity with a 100% dedicated professional management team. They wake up every day think about this project, this fan-base, these clubs and how we are going to grow this.

“I fundamentally see this as a start-up with 100 years of men’s football history. There are obviously challenges but also opportunities.

“When you look at the stats of the growth of the audience, the growth of our social media, whatever growth metric you look at, if you look at that in isolation without the judgement or direct comparison to men’s football, you look at those stats and you’d be like…’this is a high-growth tech start-up’.

“Women’s sport, however long you go back, has been underfunded. It’s been treated like a charity and expected charity returns. Now you’re starting to see professional management coming in with real investment and strategies against it, you’re starting to see examples around the world where it’s a viable thing.”

Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz are now aware that they will face Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Dominica in Group E in second round action of the 2026 Concacaf World Cup qualification.

Their other opponent will come from the first round playoff tie between British Virgin Islands or US Virgin Islands. It was revealed during Thursday's draw which took place at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland.

With hosts Mexico, United States and Canada, all earning automatic qualification, the qualifiers will be contested among the other 32 FIFA affiliated Concacaf member associations. The second round of qualifiers will see the two first round winners, joining the confederation's remaining 28 participating member associations.

The first round of qualifying will take place in March 2024 between the four lowest-ranked Concacaf Member Associations based on the FIFA Men’s Rankings as of December 2023. These two-legged matchups will see British Virgins Islands opposing US Virgin Islands in Playoff one, while Turks and Caicos Islands and Anguilla will lock horns in Playoff two.

From there, the second round of qualifiers will see the two first round winners, join the confederation's remaining 28 participating member associations to make 30 teams divided into six groups of five teams.

Following single round-robin matches (two home and two away) in the second round, the six group winners and runners-up will progress to the final round (12 teams total).

The Second Round will be played over the course of two matchdays in June 2024 and then another two matchdays in June 2025.

Second Round Grouping

Group A: Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands

Group B: Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Bahamas

Group C: Haiti, Curaçao, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Aruba

Group D: Panama, Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat, Belize

Group E: Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Winner Playoff 2 (British Virgin Islands-US Virgin Islands)

Group F: El Salvador, Suriname, Puerto Rico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Winner Playoff 1 (Turks and Caicos Islands-Anguilla)

Emiliano Marcondes was given food for thought as he recovered from a long-term injury before joining Hibernian.

The 28-year-old attacking midfielder arrived at Easter Road on loan from Bournemouth this week after being out since last May with a foot injury which required surgery.

The Dane came off the bench to make his debut in the second half of Wednesday’s 3-0 home cinch Premiership defeat to Rangers and was delighted to get back into action.

Asked about what he was looking for from his loan spell in Leith, Marcondes came up with an unusual culinary analogy.

He said: “Obviously to play and some good football as well. I want to have an important role with a great team that plays some good football.

“My agent actually said that as a footballer, when you haven’t played for a long period, you are like a cold pasta dish.

“So, no-one wants you and you are not very interesting to eat when you haven’t been playing and have been injured.

“When you are in that situation you have to put yourself in the oven and warm yourself up and that’s how I feel right now.

“I have to put myself in the oven and make myself edible again and make sure I’m wanted again. That is the picture I like to put in my head. I want to make sure I am a nice pasta dish that people want again.”

The former Brentford playmaker added of his time out: “It has been difficult. It is a weird moment for a football player when you are injured and coming back and the transfer window is open.

“It is not often that we, as footballers, really talk about it. But it is a situation when you doubt your future. I have half a year left at Bournemouth.

“But for me, it was important to have focus in every training session, and to make sure I was 100 per cent fit first, and not think too much about the future and my situation but that is easier said than done.

“I have had a great team around me at Bournemouth to help get me 100 per cent fit and get me back in training. I felt very strong in the end. Coming back and playing, I don’t feel like I have been injured for seven months so that is a great feeling.”

Marcondes was introduced just before the hour-mark against Rangers with the visitors leading through first-half goals from Ridvan Yilmaz and Todd Cantwell.

The Denmark Under-21 international said: “It was a great atmosphere and coming off the bench was good.

“By then we were 2-0 behind but I felt that we had a few chances to come back into it and that would have changed the game. But, we didn’t take our chances.

“I felt great, personally and Scottish football is a high level, high tempo, and there is some good quality.”

Newport manager Graham Coughlan admits Erik ten Hag is in the FA Cup firing line and warned Manchester United to expect a “unique and hostile” atmosphere at Rodney Parade.

United meet League Two County for the first time in their history in Sunday’s fourth-round tie, with 74 places between them in the football pyramid and millions of pounds on their respective balance sheets.

Yet Rodney Parade’s tight confines and a crowd of just under 10,000 will welcome United with Ten Hag, during a dismal season at Old Trafford, under pressure to progress in the only competition the Red Devils have a chance left of winning.

“It’s part of the job. He knows what he signed up for. We all do,” CoughIan said of the scrutiny the Dutchman will face in South Wales just weeks after Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in United.

“When you put yourself in the firing line, there are going to be bullets flying and coming your way.

“You’ve got to know how to handle that.”

Addressing the pressure and strains of management, Dubliner Coughlan – a self-confessed United fan who has previously been at Bristol Rovers and Mansfield – “I’ve been in his shoes. I’ve been there and got the T-shirt.

“He’ll come through it. He’ll be experienced enough to come through it. He has good people around him and that will be the key.

“You do go through tough times and difficult periods, but hopefully they get to grips with it by getting a bit of leadership into the football club.”

Newport – who on Wednesday saw former Swansea chairman and owner Huw Jenkins complete his £500,000 takeover to become the club’s majority shareholder – have been in fine form on the pitch.

County have embarked on a seven-game unbeaten run and are on a high after beating Welsh rivals Wrexham last weekend.

The Exiles have also been FA Cup giant-killers in recent times, beating both Leicester, Leeds and Middlesbrough at Rodney Parade while holding Tottenham to a fourth-round draw before losing a Wembley replay.

Coughlan said: “Surprisingly everybody fit, there’s been a few miraculous recoveries.

“They probably studied the Wrexham game and what would have come through would have the atmosphere and the noise of our fans.

“Irrespective this season whether we’ve been winning, losing or drawing, our fans have got right behind us and at times dragged us over the line.

“That’s unique and a strength of this football club and community.

“You can hear everything (on the touchline), sometimes you don’t want to, because they’re that close. They’re on top of you and it’s a unique atmosphere.

“It is hostile, it is noisy, and when they start beating that drum it’s an atmosphere to savour.”

United have not played since a 2-2 home draw with Tottenham on January 14, and Coughlan joked Ten Hag’s squad had probably been sunning themselves in the Caribbean while his players had been “slogging it out” in the British winter.

“They’ll be well rested and sun tanned,” laughed Coughlan.

“They would have been in the Caribbean while we’ve been slogging it out in the wind and rain.

“It’s the Premier League, that’s privileges when you get to that level.

“But I don’t think that will make a difference. They’ll be fresh with the little break they’ve had, and we’re going up against an elite football club and a top group of Premier League and international players.

“Athletes, machines – call them what you want – we’ve got a lot on our plate and you’d anticipate Manchester United having more of the ball and creating chances.

“But we’ll have one or two moments in the game and it’s about taking those moments.”

South Korea have avoided a round-of-16 clash with pre-Asian Cup favourites Japan after drawing 3-3 with Malaysia on Thursday.

Jurgen Klinsmann's team advanced as the runners-up in Group E after conceding in the 15th-minute of added time at Al Janoub Stadium.

Romel Morales struck late to level the group game and ensure Bahrain - who won 1-0 against third-placed Jordan - advanced as the group winners to face Japan. 

Despite losing, Jordan advanced as one of the best third-placed teams and will take on Iraq next.

South Korea were another of the pre-tournament favourites, but, like Japan, have had their setbacks in the group stage and progressed with one win and two draws.

A Son Heung-min penalty four minutes into injury time gave his team a 3-2 lead against Malaysia that would have sealed first place.

But Morales secured Malaysia's only point of the tournament by firing into the bottom corner from outside the area.

South Korea led through Jeong Woo-yeong's header in the 21st minute. Faisal Halim levelled six minutes after half-time and Malaysia had the chance to go ahead after Seol Young-woo fouled Arif Aiman in the box. Aiman stepped up and converted from the penalty spot.

South Korea equalised in the 83rd minute thanks to an own goal by Syihan Hazmi before the dramatic conclusion.

Klinsmann may be grateful to avoid Japan for now, even as the four-time champions had their own problems and finished runners-up in Group D behind Iraq.

Bahrain lost their opening game to South Korea but advanced to the knockout stage at the top of Group E after back-to-back 1-0 wins. It was Abdulla Yusuf Helal who struck in the 34th at Khalifa International Stadium to beat Jordan.

The last two matches of the group stage came in Group F, with both contests finishing as draws.

Saudi Arabia topped the group after drawing 0-0 with Thailand, who progressed as runners-up, while a 1-1 draw between Oman and Kyrgyzstan in the other game means both teams are eliminated.

South Korea versus Saudi Arabia looks like a standout last-16 fixture, with that contest due to take place on January 30.

Japan will play Bahrain a day later, while some of the other key contests include Iran meeting Syria and hosts Qatar going up against Indonesia.

The knockout stage starts on January 28 as Australia take on Indonesia.

Newport manager Graham Coughlan admits Erik ten Hag is in the FA Cup firing line and warned Manchester United to expect a “unique and hostile” atmosphere at Rodney Parade.

United meet League Two County for the first time in their history in Sunday’s fourth-round tie, with 74 places between them in the football pyramid and millions of pounds on their respective balance sheets.

Yet Rodney Parade’s tight confines and a crowd of just under 10,000 will welcome United with Ten Hag, during a dismal season at Old Trafford, under pressure to progress in the only competition the Red Devils have a chance left of winning.

“It’s part of the job. He knows what he signed up for. We all do,” CoughIan said of the scrutiny the Dutchman will face in South Wales just weeks after Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in United.

“When you put yourself in the firing line, there are going to be bullets flying and coming your way.

“You’ve got to know how to handle that.”

Addressing the pressure and strains of management, Dubliner Coughlan – a self-confessed United fan who has previously been at Bristol Rovers and Mansfield – “I’ve been in his shoes. I’ve been there and got the T-shirt.

“He’ll come through it. He’ll be experienced enough to come through it. He has good people around him and that will be the key.

“You do go through tough times and difficult periods, but hopefully they get to grips with it by getting a bit of leadership into the football club.”

Newport – who on Wednesday saw former Swansea chairman and owner Huw Jenkins complete his £500,000 takeover to become the club’s majority shareholder – have been in fine form on the pitch.

County have embarked on a seven-game unbeaten run and are on a high after beating Welsh rivals Wrexham last weekend.

The Exiles have also been FA Cup giant-killers in recent times, beating both Leicester, Leeds and Middlesbrough at Rodney Parade while holding Tottenham to a fourth-round draw before losing a Wembley replay.

Coughlan said: “Surprisingly everybody fit, there’s been a few miraculous recoveries.

“They probably studied the Wrexham game and what would have come through would have the atmosphere and the noise of our fans.

“Irrespective this season whether we’ve been winning, losing or drawing, our fans have got right behind us and at times dragged us over the line.

“That’s unique and a strength of this football club and community.

“You can hear everything (on the touchline), sometimes you don’t want to, because they’re that close. They’re on top of you and it’s a unique atmosphere.

“It is hostile, it is noisy, and when they start beating that drum it’s an atmosphere to savour.”

United have not played since a 2-2 home draw with Tottenham on January 14, and Coughlan joked Ten Hag’s squad had probably been sunning themselves in the Caribbean while his players had been “slogging it out” in the British winter.

“They’ll be well rested and sun tanned,” laughed Coughlan.

“They would have been in the Caribbean while we’ve been slogging it out in the wind and rain.

“It’s the Premier League, that’s privileges when you get to that level.

“But I don’t think that will make a difference. They’ll be fresh with the little break they’ve had, and we’re going up against an elite football club and a top group of Premier League and international players.

“Athletes, machines – call them what you want – we’ve got a lot on our plate and you’d anticipate Manchester United having more of the ball and creating chances.

“But we’ll have one or two moments in the game and it’s about taking those moments.”

Union Berlin boss Nenad Bjelica has been handed a three-match stadium ban after pushing Bayern Munich midfielder Leroy Sane in the face.

The Croatian has also been fined 25,000 Euros for “unsportsmanlike conduct” by the sports court of the German Football Association following an incident during Wednesday’s 1-0 Bundesliga defeat at the Allianz Arena.

A DFB statement said: “The sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) has banned Nenad Bjelica from the club’s next three Bundesliga games and imposed a fine…amounting to 25,000 euros.”

The statement continued: “Bjelica behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner towards Munich player Leroy Sane and, among other things, grabbed his face, whereupon the referee, Frank Willenborg, showed the red card.

“The coach and his club have agreed to the judgment and the judgment is therefore legally binding.”

Bjelica thrust a hand into former Manchester City player Sane’s face as the pair grappled for the ball after it had gone out of play in front of the Union dugout, prompting Willenborg to send him to the stands.

The ban will cover Sunday’s home clash with Darmstadt and next month’s trips to RB Leipzig and Mainz.

The terms of the penalty mean Bjelica cannot be inside the stadium from 30 minutes before a game until 30 minutes afterwards and is not allowed to have direct or indirect contact with his team.

Much like his Jamaican counterpart John Wall, Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Brian Haynes is in the process of trying to find the best possible squad to parade at the upcoming Concacaf Under-20 Men’s Championships.

As such, the three-warm up matches between the two is a welcome addition to up the tempo of their preparations, as it not only promises good competition, but more importantly, will give both coaches a better indicator of the quality of respective players ahead of the tournament, which serves as a qualifier to next year’s FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup in Chile.

The young Soca Warriors will face their young Reggae Boyz counterparts at 6:00pm on Thursday at St James Police Barracks, and again at 4:00pm on Sunday and February 1 at the Larry Gomes Stadium. Haynes is expecting players to put their best foot forward, especially with spots up for grabs.

“It’s going to be games against a team from the Caribbean first of all with the kind of play that we’re accustomed to. But at the same time, it’s quality games and we are going to have to come with our best effort to show these guys that we can play, not only play but to win because as far as I’m concerned that’s what is going to bring the crowds to the stadium,” Haynes told TTFA Media

“We are going to work hard and try to win games. I expect these matches to be well contested so that it serves its purpose in this phase of our preparations,” he added.

For the upcoming tournament, Trinidad and Tobago will host Group D which includes Canada, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines. If what Haynes has seen in preparation so far is anything to go by, then he is expecting a good showing in the tournament.

“I’m at a point where I can start to see what the team is going to look like. Everybody is not here as yet but all the players who are here at the moment in T&T are doing what they are supposed to do,” Haynes shared.

“I’ve seen improvements in the defending, into the midfield and when we go forward and as far as I’m concerned, all those are things that we still need to sharpen up. We haven’t been good on finishing. One goal in a game of 90 minutes is good so far but we need to improve in getting more goals,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Jamaicans for their part, will contest Group F with Bermuda, Grenada and Martinique in St Kitts and Nevis, and Wall is pleased with how things have progressed so far, as he looks ahead to the warm-up fixtures.

“Trinidad has been treating us good, we have had two trainings so far, we like to create an environment as similar as possible to tournament conditions. We have a lot of things to cover in terms of our attacking and defending but the main reference is the first game (against Trinidad) and from there we can map our way forward,” Wall said.

“I know Brian Haynes is pretty seasoned and experienced and I think we should respect them but at the point where we have to play our own game and start building the foundation for what we want to do in the tournament from this point on. So, for me, it makes a whole lot of sense that the JFF allowed us to come here as part of the process of getting prepared for St Kitts and Nevis,” he added.

After round-robin play in the Concacaf qualifying opening round between February 23 and March 2, the group winners will progress to the Championship round to join the six pre-seeded nations – United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.