UPDATE: Eve retained as Soca Warriors' head coach, Under-20 portfolio added

ANGUS EVE has been retained as the Trinidad and Tobago men’s football coach, as well as appointed as the TT Under-20 men’s coach, according to a media release issued by the TT Football Association (TTFA) on Thursday afternoon.

The former national captain and midfielder, who initially had an interim stint as TT men’s coach from June 13 to August 31, has been given the mantle of coach until March 31, 2023.

Eve’s focus will be the 2022 Concacaf Nations League and building a national Under-20 squad, with an aim to boost the pool of national players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With regards to the Nations League, Eve’s contract can be extended to the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup if TT earn a promotion from Nations League B to League A.

Eve, during a Zoom media briefing on Thursday evening, said that his technical staff, including assistants Hutson Charles, Reynold Carrington and Clayton Ince, as well as manager Richard Piper, could remain intact, while a few additional members be added to work with the Under-20s, if duties with both teams eventually clash with each other.

“We have taken that into consideration,” said the TT coach. “I’ve asked for a couple of auxiliary staff so that we can manage the two situations simultaneously.”

The Under-20 team are expected to start their 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup qualification in November.

Eve noted, “We want to add a younger coach, who will work with us and work with the Under-20s. It’s all about progression and development, and (maybe) we can get that person to do the Under-17s, with a different staff eventually, when that comes around.”

Concerning the men’s team, Eve said he plans to meet with the normalisation committee on Monday to discuss any prospective international matches for the rest of 2021. “There are things that (were in) the pipeline before, so it’s just to go in there and solidify that we play in every window that we have available.”

About the Nations League, Eve said, “I think we are well-placed to be competitive in this zone. It’s not going to be easy because we’re starting at a deficit (due to the team’s failure to progress beyond the first round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Zone qualifiers) but I believe in the guys and I believe in what we can achieve if given the right opportunity.”

Eve said the entire technical staff were paid for June and July. “We just outstanding for August,” he stated.

Similar to the men’s team, Eve plans to integrate a few foreign-born players into the Under-20 team. He added, “We just have to make sure that we get some practice matches to get them a bit sharp. We think we can get the kids up to a level to get over the first hurdle.”

The TT men’s coach plans to make full use of the Home of Football at Balmain, Couva, once available.

“If we have the two teams on one day, we may do one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and that will give us that opportunity as a staff to relax on the compound.”

Due to his full-time appointment as TT men’s coach, Eve plans to step down from his roles as coach of Club Sando (TT Pro League) and Naparima (Secondary Schools Football League).

“From the time we came back from the Gold Cup, those two organisations didn’t want to lose me, but they believed that I’ve done enough to get the (TT) job on a full-time basis,” he said. “Up to (Thursday) morning, I informed them of the announcement that was imminent. I would have to vacate those two roles.”

Eve, who replaced Terry Fenwick on June 13, was handed a contract to serve as TT coach until August 31.

At the time of his appointment, the former TT midfielder and captain said his aim was to improve the team’s fortunes, following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Zone qualifiers in early June.

He had five games as TT coach, all at the Concacaf Gold Cup in the United States.

During the Gold Cup qualifiers, TT hammered Montserrat 6-1 (on July 2). Four days later, TT needed kicks from the penalty spot to defeat French Guiana 8-7, after the scores were locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time. The victory over French Guiana guaranteed a spot in the Gold Cup.

In Group A, TT drew goalless against Mexico (July 10), lost 2-0 to El Salvador (July 14) and were held to a 1-1 draw against Guatemala (July 18).

TT finished third in the group with two points, behind Mexico (seven points) and El Salvador (six points). Both Mexico and El Salvador advanced to the knockout stage, while TT and Guatemala (one point) were eliminated.

About the Gold Cup, Eve said, “It was a learning experience for me, and any opportunity that you have to put your talents against the best was a similar experience to when I was playing locally. I think I’m in a good place, with the experiences I would have gotten.”