Charles-Fevrier has high hopes for U-15 Invitational

NATIONAL Under-15 men’s football team coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier believes the TTFA (TT Football Association) U-15 Boys Invitational four-nation tournament in July will prove to be a much anticipated and worthy exercise for the team ahead of the 2019 Concacaf Boys U-15 Championship.

Charles-Fevrier has been overseeing the team for just over three years and his backroom staff has been continuing the preparations of the team at the TTFA Home of Football in Couva.

“It is a tournament I really welcome,” said Charles-Fevrier. “These boys have been working for some time and I believe now they need more exposure playing more Central American and North American teams because we’ve only played against Caribbean teams in the last competition in Curacao.”

Concacaf giants Mexico and Panama along with Venezuela, have all agreed to participate in the round-robin tournament which be hosted in Trinidad.

The tournament is scheduled to run from July 17-21 with three match-days, to be played on July 17 at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, July 19 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, and July 21 back at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

“I am very happy for the opportunity they will be getting to play against Mexico which is a top footballing nation, Panama and also Venezuela which has improved tremendously in world football,” said Charles-Fevrier, the current TT men’s assistant team coach.

“We are still at a developmental phase. The Concacaf championship in August is a developmental one and I understand that one of the rules says that every player must play at least 60 minutes. Our programme has always been twofold – one to win football games and secondly to develop the players for the future of TT football.

“I’m always excited whenever the boys play whether at home or abroad. This will be the first time they will be playing at home where the public will get the chance to have a look at them and I know the players will be looking forward to it as well,” Charles-Fevrier added.

TT have been grouped with Panama, Mexico and Curacao for the group stage of the Concacaf championship at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, United States from August 4-12. “Panama and Mexico are in our group and playing them in the competition at home will give all the teams a good opportunity to have a look at each other.

“By the time the Concacaf Championship comes around we would have played against four very good opponents in the preparations,” Charles-Fevrier said.