TTFF News - Senior Footballers to keep on working

Senior Footballers to keep on working

 

Issued by Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media Officer, February 8 2008

 

National Team head coach Francisco Maturana will return to the training pitch at the Ato Boldon Stadium next week with a selected list of home-based professionals as the “Soca Warriors” continue their preparations, with a focus on the March 26 friendly international against Jamaica in Kingston.

 

Maturana and his staff are to meet with the T&T Pro League with an aim to having a suitable agreement with regards to the release of players for training sessions during the week. Maturana along with assistant coach Anton Corneal will relay their plans and then get on with the job at hand.

 

Corneal revealed that Maturana is keen to groom young talent.

 

“He has already indicated how much he wants to groom young talent and that is what we will set about on doing over the next few weeks once we have our program outlined with the T&T Pro League,” Corneal told TTFF Media.

 

Corneal emphasized the need for the Pro League to cooperate with Maturana and the TTFF during the calendar of World Cup qualification.

 

“I think they will realize the need to cooperate because it has to work both ways and only the League and the local players and by extension the country will benefit from having these players available as required.”

 

Already talks are underway with World Cup team midfielder Aurtis Whitley with Corneal having already spoken to him. Maturana is expected to meet with the W Connection midfielder in due course. Corneal has also been in touch with other names who were not part of the squad for the Guadeloupe friendly, saying that the response so far has been positive, bringing an obvious smile to Maturana’s face.

 

“He is very eager and optimistic at the moment. We know we didn’t get the sort of performance we wanted on Wednesday but there is a lot to work with and a lot more to look at and he (Maturana) is buzzing as it relates to this,” Corneal added, mentioning too that Maturana was impressed with Keon Daniel and Khaleem Hyland and as such is interested in including some other younger faces in his training program.

 

The Colombian himself added: “I think we have all the ingredients to get the success but there is work to be done and we must do it carefully. We have to focus on the right things and I am confident that we will get the team playing as we need in order for success,” Maturana added.