Trinidad and Tobago survive 8-7 penalty shootout to reach Gold Cup

Trinidad and Tobago survived a nerve-racking penalty shootout against French Guiana on Tuesday to secure a place in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup.

At the DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, both teams were perfect from the spot at 7-7 when TT goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup dived to his left to save an attempt from Kevin Rimane.

Curtis Gonzales, a half-time substitute for TT, stayed calm under the immense pressure to send French Guiana custodian Simon Lugier the wrong way, placing the ball to his left to spark celebrations.

TT's reward is a place in Group A, where they kick off on Saturday against Concacaf powerhouse Mexico. Also in Group A are El Salvador and Curacao.

This win saw TT’s interim coach Angus Eve achieve his first mission of guiding his team into the Gold Cup, a month after they failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The scores were locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time, with Kevin Molino putting TT ahead in the 27th minute. Midfielder Arnold Abelinti equalised for French Guiana in the 44th.

French Guiana, who were playing their first competitive game since November 2019, gave a good account of themselves in the second half against a TT team lacking the influence of captain Khaleem Hyland and fellow midfielder Judah Garcia, who were forced off in the first half with leg muscle injuries.