President of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Kieron Edwards, is optimistic that they will attract some high-quality candidates for the senior Soca Warriors head coach post, with hopes of securing qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Edwards, who along with his administration were heavily criticised for cutting former head coach Angus Eve without a suitable replacement, shared his optimism as he revealed that invitations to select the new coach will go out this week.

The Soca Warriors, currently being led by Derek King on an interim basis, closed the recent Concacaf Nations League window with a 0-4 loss to Honduras and a goalless stalemate with French Guiana, which left them at the foot of Group B in League A and facing relegation to League B. They now face a must-win scenario in their next two fixtures in October to survive.

However, Trinidad and Tobago remain alive in the World Cup qualifiers, which resume next year, as they sit second in Group B on four points, two points behind Costa Rica.

Edwards said the process of selecting the new coach has been delayed a bit, but they remain firm that the suitable candidate must meet the requirements outlined to secure the necessary results and, by extension, World Cup qualification.

“We recognise the importance of having a clear pathway for qualification, which requires the full support of the government, private sector, and citizens,” TTFA said in a recent release.

When asked if the decision to send out the invitation was due to the Soca Warriors loss to Honduras, Edwards said that result was expected. 

“I know we hardly have time, but we cannot rush the process. We know that the toughest game in the group would have been against Honduras, and what they told me is that they would have planned for that result,” Edwards explained.

Still, Edwards is hoping to receive applications from quality coaches to change things. It is reported that former Soca Warriors striker turn coach Dwight Yorke and former United States coach Gregg Berhalter were interested in the job.

At one point, the thought of Dwight Yorke leading Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz setup would have been far-fetched, but not anymore.

This, as the former Trinidad and Tobago and Manchester United stalwart was among 40 candidates that threw their proverbial hats in the ring to fill Jamaica’s Head coach spot, which was left vacant following Heimir Hallgrimsson’s resignation.

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) confirmed Yorke’s application, but with the number of potential candidates now narrowed down to five, general secretary Dennis Chung was reluctant to say whether or not the 52-year-old made the shortlist.

“We actually got about 40 applicants from Europe, South America and in the Concacaf region, and Technical Committee Chairman [Rudolph Speid] have cut that down to five. So we will be doing the interviews in another week or so and then we will announce the successful candidate,” Chung said during a press conference on Wednesday.

“He [Dwight Yorke] did apply, but as it relates to the five, I don’t want to say who it is as yet. But certainly Dwight is someone who was in the initial 40,” he added

Yorke, who took his first steps into management in 2022 when he was appointed Head coach of Australian side Macarthur FC, lifted the Australia Cup that same year with the A-League side, before parting ways with the club in 2023.

While his experience from a managerial perspective may not be as glittery as that of other potential candidates, Yorke admitted that he has gained knowledge from several legendary figures, including Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger.

 “I’ve spent time with the likes of Pep, Sir Alex, Steve McLaren and Arsene Wenger,” Yorke told The Mirror.

“They will tell you: everyone wants to play attacking, front-foot football. I love that, being an attacker myself. You want to just score goals but there is a balance here. If you don’t have [a] good structure and a good system in place, then you are always likely to struggle,” he added.

SportsMax.TV understands that former Reggae Boy turned coach Jobi McAnuff, and former Reggae Boyz assistant Miguel Coley were also among the candidates that applied for the job.

Meanwhile, Chung explained that the JFF has taken lessons from Hallgrimsson’s tenure and eventual departure, as the Icelandic coach was said to have had a strained relationship with the federation.

Shortly after quitting Jamaica’s programme, following a failed Copa America campaign, Hallgrimsson was appointed by the Republic of Ireland.

“We have certainly taken a lot of lessons from it, I don’t necessarily agree with some of the things that were said, having gone through the process and we know what happened. What I was referring to being surprised about is that my expectation is that if someone knows they are going to leave, they should give adequate notice that is the professional way to do it,” Chung said.

“So we know that the signs were there, but we expected that on a professional basis, the appropriate notice would have been given. But it worked out for us because as soon as the [Hallgrimsson’s] announcement was made, we started getting interest from all around the world,” he shared.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds says his ministry is open to assist in amending the country’s immigration laws, to bolster the Soca Warriors talent pool and improve their chances of securing FIFA World Cup qualification.

Hinds declaration was a response to calls made by senior Soca Warriors Head coach Angus Eve and former Soca Warriors captain Dwight Yorke, for a possible review of citizenship laws, to allow for heritage players to represent the twin island republic.

Currently, chapter two, section 17 (ii) of Trinidad and Tobago’s Constitution states that “A person shall not become a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, if at the time of his birth – (a) neither of his parents is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Both Eve and Yorke expressed views that Trinidad and Tobago’s laws, which limits representation to players whose parent(s) have Trinidad and Tobago lineage, places them at a disadvantage, as other Caribbean territories are capitalizing on heritage players whose grandparents have local lineage.  

Hinds concurred, and pointed out that discussions have already been had with Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe and Attorney General Reginald Armour regarding the matter.

“I certainly heard from the sports minister and AG, this is a matter that arose around us. National security is very open to any policy shifts that might emanate from the sports ministry in this regard. And it is the AG as the government’s legal adviser who will draft any necessary amendments to the immigration act or whatever might be necessary to facilitate that,” Hinds told T&T Newsday.

Having participated at the 2006 World Cup, Trinidad and Tobago has a grand opportunity to make another appearance at the 2026 global showpiece to be hosted jointly by Concacaf powerhouses United States, Mexico and Canada.

With those team not involved in qualifying, the Soca Warriors could secure one of three automatic spots to the tournament. They have already started the qualifiers with 2-2 and 7-1 scorelines against Grenada and Bahamas respectively.

They are scheduled to face St Kitts and Nevis and Costa Rica when qualifying resumes next year.

“If there is anything we can do to enhance that (the country’s sporting success) we most certainly would. The Minister of Sport did raise that matter with me and she is aware that she has the full support of this minister representing national security. We do nothing passively. We are very active on the job and in service of the people of TT,” he added.

Meanwhile, Eve welcomed the fact that the change is somewhat in motion, as he believes it will not only benefit sport, but all other sectors.

“If they are reviewing it for the betterment of, not just for football but for everyone as a whole in the country because there are a lot more professional people who can come back into the country in different capacities to continue in the development of TT,” Eve said.

“If it is looked at, it could possibly enhance what we do in TT by getting more professional people, whether it be sports, business or anything. It wouldn’t only augur well for sport, but holistically. It broadens our talent pool in different fields; people who can give back to the country that their parents or grandparents were born in,” he reasoned.

Former Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke believes Unai Emery has done a "remarkable job" and hopes they can maintain the new level they have reached.

Emery joined Villa in November 2022 when the club was in a relegation fight, and led them to a seventh-place finish, securing qualification to the Europa Conference League.

In his first full season in charge, the Spaniard oversaw another impressive campaign as the Villans finished fourth in the Premier League, ensuring Champions League football for the first time since 1982-83.

Villa also reached the semi-final of the Europa Conference League after seeing off Ajax and Lille in the knockout stages, but were knocked out by eventual champions, Olympiacos.

On Monday, Villa confirmed that Emery had signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2029.

Yorke, who spent nine years at Villa between 1989 and 1998, says the club have finally found the right balance.

"They've got good backers, good owners, invest heavily in their team and that shows what they want, but they've got also you need a correct manager and I think Unai Emery has come into that category," Yorke told Stats Perform.

"Villa is a tremendous football club. Emery has done a remarkable job to get Villa in the Champions League, a bit like Newcastle last season in many respects.

"Now the expectation is can he now really show what kind of manager he is? Now the [board] and the chairman will back him, bringing new players, bringing players to enhance that team, and they are going to try and maintain that [status as a top club].

"If he does that next year and qualifies for the Champions League again, plus probably win a cup, I think he then shows what really a true fantastic manager he is for Villa.

"To achieve their goal this season, I think the chairman, the fans, everybody will be thrilled that Villa is in the Champions League next year."

Despite their strong season, Yorke admits that Villa will need to think about adding to their squad to cope with the demands of playing in the Champions League.

"You have got to say to the owners, listen I need another three, four, five players to come in because now you're playing with the big boys, you're going from Champions League to the Premier League to the Champions League with the big boys," he added.

"You need a squad to be going into these games. The players will find it totally different because they're not used to that.

"They have got get used to that very quickly, but you've got an experienced manager in that type of way of playing [in Europe as well as domestically]. It will be new for Villa.

"It will be interesting to see how they handle that type of story going forward, how they handle the Champions League.

"It takes a really unique manager to then get a team advancing out of that group, then into the latter stage from the round of 16.

"[If Emery does that], now you're showing your true colours, but I think they've got to add maybe three or four new players to the squad that will help them to make sure that they can maintain [a challenge] on both fronts."

Erik ten Hag should be given another season by the new regime at Manchester United after masterminding their FA Cup triumph, says former Red Devils striker Dwight Yorke.

Ten Hag's future was subject to speculation throughout a largely dismal season for United, who recorded their lowest ever Premier League finish of eighth. 

They also exited the Champions League in the group stage, losing 19 matches and conceding 85 goals across all competitions.

However, they finished an underwhelming campaign on a high note on Saturday, with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scoring in a shock 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

Yorke says Ten Hag deserves credit for the way he set United up at Wembley Stadium, as the Red Devils edged City for expected goals (1.59 xG to 1.35), shots on target (five to four) and big chances (two to one) despite only having 26.4 per cent of the possession.

"I think everybody thought this United team was never going to get the result. And for us, who have been in football for such a long time, the unthinkable can happen occasionally," Yorke told Stats Perform.

"I have to say, Ten Hag deserves a lot of credit. There's a lot of noise coming out from the United end about whether he was going to be the manager. 

"After the end of this game, whether he won or lost, he had the players focused. I think this could arguably be United's best performance this season. I really do. 

"There were a lot of negatives coming out of the camp, but I truly think they were far superior tactically. The way we set up and made life very difficult for them [City]. 

"They were in City's face, not allowing them too much space to dominate the game. I thought they were superb. The manager deserves a lot of credit and the players deserve a lot of credit for showing up on a day when no one gave them a chance to win the game."

The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Kieran McKenna have all been linked with United as the Jim Ratcliffe regime weighs up whether to stick with Ten Hag for 2024-25.

But Yorke feels the Dutchman has now done enough to remain at the helm, adding: "I've been a critic of Ten Hag, I have to say that. I've gone on record and said he needed to win this game to have any chance of continuing to be manager. 

"To win two competitions in two years, then that's quite the turnaround. I think he deserves another year, I really do. 

"Whether he's the man taking us forward in terms of his style, that's another question, but he certainly deserves another year in my opinion."

Trinidad and Tobago’s Head coach Angus Eve welcomed the outcome of their two-match friendly series against Guyana, but in the same breath, says he is bracing for even tougher assignments when kick off the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month.

Though pleased that a few local-based players gave him much to think about in their 2-1 and 2-0 win over Jamaal Shabazz’s Guyana outfit, Eve again rued Trinidad and Tobago’s citizenship laws, which he believes puts them at a slight disadvantage against regional opponents, who have the luxury of importing heritage players from elsewhere around the world.

As such, Eve, who used the Guyana fixtures to fine-tune tactics and expose more players to the national team, is hoping to get the necessary support to spur his Soca Warriors on throughout the World Cup qualifying campaign, which gets under way against Grenada on June 5.

“I think when we used to play before, going against Grenada was a foregone conclusion,” Eve said as he reminisced on the twin island republic ‘s dominance in the past.

“But the immigration laws in this country do not help us. We do know Grenada has a lot of players coming back from England. They might not be the quality as those for Jamaica, but we do know they have a lot of those sort of players coming back,” he reasoned during a post-match interview.

Eve and his men will also have St Kitts and Nevis, Costa Rica and The Bahamas to contend with in Group B.

Former Soca Warriors and Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke recently joined the call for a review in the citizenship laws, which states that “A person shall not become a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, if at the time of his birth – (a) neither of his parents is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.” Until such changes are made, both Yorke and Eve believe Trinidad and Tobago will remain on the backfoot when compared to other nations.

“So, we need the 12th man to be on board with us. The guys are going to come out and give everything that they have, so it’s just for the fans to come out and support the team. The 23 players and the TTFA alone can’t qualify. We need support from corporate, the Government, the fans, the normal man in the street, because when the team does qualify, then all of us will be celebrating as a nation. So, we need a national effort to qualify,” Eve stated.

That said, the tactician quickly pointed out that the team still has much to do in terms of their technical and tactical efficiency, particularly those local players who might be included in the final squad.

“I think it could have been a bigger scoreline (against Guyana). We gave some sloppy chances, and we have to alleviate those problems when we play the next team,” Eve declared.

He named midfielders Matthew Woo Ling and Daniel David and veteran striker Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, who scored in both games, among those that impressed against the Jaguars.

“I thought when we put them on in the second half, it changed the game, and we got a little bit more tempo and we got more penetration. So, very happy for these guys. They got the opportunity and I thought that they grasped it with both hands. A number of them gave us some stuff to think about, so there is a lot of positive,” Eve noted.

Former Soca Warriors captain Dwight Yorke has joined the calls for a possible review of Trinidad and Tobago’s citizenship law, as he believes a constitutional reform would substantially increase the nation’s player pool, and with it, their chances of FIFA World Cup qualification.

Unlike Jamaica and other countries across the region which have tapped into their heritage players from England and elsewhere, it is not the same with the twin island republic, as chapter two, section 17 (ii) of their constitution states that “A person shall not become a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, if at the time of his birth – (a) neither of his parents is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Soca Warriors Head coach Angus Eve last year pointed out that such a law is hampering the expansion of Trinidad and Tobago’s football, since the majority of other Caribbean territories can invite players whose grandparents have local lineage, to represent their nation on the international stage.

Yorke concurs, as he is also of the view that the legislation has Trinidad and Tobago on the back foot, and is hampering the nation’s chances of progressing, while other countries hold a clear player-selection advantage.

“I think also we’re on the back foot where we’re not opening up to…and I say this openheartedly, that I feel that we’re kind of stifling our opportunity to recruit players,” Yorke told reporters after the Legends All-Star match last week.

He continued: “You’re seeing all the other countries being able to recruit players, and that’s a big factor. We’re a small country and we don’t have many people to choose from. So, anybody with any type of nationality that is linked to T&T that player of a certain level, could only be a benefit for us, so why deprive that.

“That’s something we need to look at, the people and heads of state are the ones to make that decision. But I think we are limiting ourselves by not allowing people who had something to connect to T&T in a bloodstream type of way, having to go through the difficulty of getting the passport.”

That said, the 52-year-old former Manchester United striker, like others believes the 2026 FIFA World Cup represents Trinidad and Tobago’s best chance of making another appearance at the global showpiece to follow their historic 2006 showing.

This as Concacaf powerhouse teams –Canada, Mexico and United States –have earned automatic spots by virtue of being hosts and, as such, will not be a part of the upcoming qualifiers scheduled to begin next month.

So, with three direct qualification spots, plus two more available via an inter-confederation playoff, Yorke said it represents a grand opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to capitalise. Eve’s side is drawn in Group B alongside Bahamas, Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada.