Coach King: Soca Warriors will be victorious vs Honduras

Soca Warriors caretaker coach Derek King cut a confident figure in the pre-match press briefing ahead of tonight's 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League A fixture against Honduras at the Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa, Honduras – declaring his team will claim all three points.

Kickoff will be at 10 pm (Trinidad and Tobago time).

King, who most recently served as assistant to former coach Angus Eve, was announced as caretaker coach last month.

TT have lost their last four matches against Honduras, with those defeats coming in the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign and the 2019/20 Nations League A cycle.

With the Soca Warriors' last win against Honduras coming in the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup, King wants his charges to make a big statement in his first competitive match at the helm.

"We're coming up against a very good Honduras team. Honduras at home is always a tough call but I think we're ready for the challenge," King said, via a video posted by TT Football Association (TTFA) media on the morning of September 6.

"We did our homework and we'll come out and play to the best of our abilities and I think the team will do well. I'm confident we'll do well against this Honduras team."

He made it clear his team isn't in Honduras to make up numbers.

"We can't set a goal to draw a game. The key for us is to get a positive result in this game, because we have three more games in our group and it's important we get a good start.

"I think we will see some good football from both teams.

"I know TT will be victorious. Our players are very confident in stepping up, as well."

The Honduran team, ranked 79th by Fifa, sit atop their 2026 World Cup qualifying group after a pair of wins against Bermuda and Cuba, one of TT's opponents in this Nations League A group.

King said Honduras have quality players and he also commended their attacking strengths.

However, he said TT can get a favourable result once they maintain their structure and sharpness in front of goal.

"We have to stay organised and disciplined and we will create chances through our frontrunners. Once we get the chances, hopefully the guys can put them away and we'll come away with a good result," he said.

A late evening thunderstorm forced the cancellation of TT's training session on September 5.

Despite the conditions, King isn't making any excuses.

"Sun, rain, snow or winter...I think the guys are accustomed to the weather as well. The two teams will be playing in the conditions so there shouldn't be any major issues."

TT's second game in the Nations League A campaign will be on September 10 versus French Guiana at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago.