Nicaragua booted out Gold Cup, Soca Warriors in

Trinidad and Tobago will kick off their Concacaf Gold Cup campaign in the group stage on June 25, after Nicaragua were booted out the competition for fielding an ineligible player.

Concacaf made the decision on Monday night after the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) had lodged an appeal over the participation of Uruguayan-born Richard Rodriguez in Concacaf Nations League competition.

Rodriguez has not lived in Nicaragua for the required five years to be deemed a naturalised citizen by FIFA, but still played in several matches for the Central American team.

He featured in Trinidad and Tobago's 1-1 draw with Nicaragua on March 27 at Dwight Yorke stadium, Tobago which cost the hosts top spot in League B, automatic qualification to the Gold Cup and promotion to League A of the Nations League.

Nicaragua's "severe violation" of Concacaf regulations sees Trinidad and Tobago placed in Group A of the Gold Cup, which includes powerhouse USA, Caribbean giants Jamaica and a team from the preliminary stage.

Trinidad and Tobago were scheduled to compete in the prelims on Friday against Guadeloupe. Instead, Antigua is in a race against time to get a team ready to compete at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Another upgrade for Trinidad and Tobago sees them advancing to League A and Nicaragua demoted to League B. This puts Trinidad and Tobago back into contention for qualification to the 2024 Copa America, which will be held in the USA and features six Concacaf teams from Nations League competition. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, who won the 2021 competition