Warriors keeper Denzil Smith transfers to Civic in TTPFL

Trinidad and Tobago men's football team goalkeeper Denzil "Peng" Smith has transferred from Tiger Tanks Club Sando to Heritage Petroleum Point Fortin Civic ahead of the second TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) season which starts on November 24. The move was confirmed on Thursday by the TTPFL and representatives from Civic.

Smith, 24, played with W Connection in the inaugural TTPFL season which ran from March to June 2023. He then transferred to the third-placed Club Sando who competed in the Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield tournament in August. Smith was a member of the Sando team which finished third in the Caribbean Shield tournament. Sando were unable to book their spot in the Concacaf Caribbean tournament which saw TTPFL representation from the league's top two teams – Defence Force and AC Port of Spain.

The agile Smith was a standout at the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) level with Shiva Boys Hindu College, helping the South school to the premier division and national intercol titles in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Smith has shown his ability on the international scene this year since making his Soca Warriors debut back in March in friendly action versus Jamaica. Smith has made six appearances for TT, and he has now emerged as coach Angus Eve's number one option between the sticks after being an unused substitute at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. Smith was the starting goalkeeper in TT's four group matches in the ongoing 2023/24 cycle of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) A tournament. He pulled off a number of fine saves in TT's dramatic 3-2 win away to El Salvador at the Nacional Jorge Magico Gonzalez Stadium in the CNL group stages on September 10.

Smith is a member of the 23-man TT team which is in the midst of a home-and-away quarter-final tie with CNL defending champions US. The second leg of the quarter-final will be held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on Monday night.

Smith's new club, Civic, finished seventh on the 12-team TTFPL table last season and were ousted at the semi-final stage of the TTPFL knockout cup by eventual champions Defence Force. The Point Fortin club will begin the upcoming TTPFL season on November 26 when they host Terminix La Horquetta Rangers at the Mahaica Sporting Complex.