Yorke: Have a little faith in me, Soca Warriors

AS the Soca Warriors look to embark on a busy schedule of matches which include the May 27-31 Unity Cup, two 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, head coach Dwight Yorke is calling for patience and faith to be shown in his team.

The first test for the Soca Warriors in the coming weeks will come at the Unity Cup, which will be played at Brentford FC's Gtech Community Stadium in West London and features Caribbean rivals Jamaica, as well as African giants Ghana and Nigeria. Trinidad and Tobago will kick off the tourney with a clash with Jamaica on May 27, with Ghana playing Nigeria on May 28. The winners of those two matches will play in a final on May 31, with the losers contesting a third-place playoff.

Next on the agenda for the Soca Warriors will be the important matter of their World Cup qualifier versus St Kitts and Nevis on June 6 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo. On June 10, TT will travel to San Jose to play Costa Rica in another key World Cup qualifier. TT have amassed four points from their first two qualifying matches in the second-round group, trailing leaders Costa Rica by two points. With only the top two teams advancing to the final round, Yorke knows the focus of his team cannot drop.

"We're obviously excited, not just for the Unity Cup, but qualifying for the Gold Cup was a big plus in our eyes to compete in a major competition. But of course, before we even get into the Gold Cup, the two major games remaining in the World Cup qualifiers are of serious concern," Yorke said, via a video released by TT Football Association (TTFA) media on May 4.

Yorke said while his group of players may not bear household names such as former World Cup teammates Shaka Hislop, Stern John, Russell Latapy and Dennis Lawrence, he said he has a "good feel" about this team and believes they can take TT's football back to the very top.

"People who (know) my background, they know I only demand the best. But we can only demand the best if we get the support," Yorke said.

"It's never going to be smooth all the way, but have the faith and confidence. Have the confidence in me and have the confidence in the team to then produce the goods we feel we're capable of doing."

After the pair of World Cup qualifiers, the Soca Warriors will contest the June 14-July 6 Gold Cup – a spot they secured with a thumping 6-1 aggregate win over Cuba in a Concacaf preliminary round playoff in March. At the Gold Cup, Yorke's charges can expect stiffer competition as they have been placed in group D alongside Haiti, Saudi Arabia and Concacaf giants US, who drubbed the Soca Warriors 6-0 at the 2023 edition of the tournament.

As he looks ahead to the hectic schedule, Yorke said managing his players' fitness will be a key factor.

"This schedule really testing us a bit. I think we have four games in 12 days, including travel, so we've got to be a little bit careful as to how we take on these competitions. We have time to think about it as a team and as a unit," Yorke said.

"We've been planning with a lot of care to make sure the players' safety and health is in good nick. And certainly, when it comes to – no disrespect to the Unity Cup games – but certainly the World Cup qualifier against St Kitts is our main priority in this phase of play to make sure the players are well-equipped and ready to go."

Yorke said the stakes are very high for his team at this stage, but he's been pleased with the improvements he has seen since taking charge last November. He said there is always room for improvement, though.

Yorke thanked the TTFA and the government for their support in the journey thus far and asked the private sector and the general public to come on board to help the Soca Warriors qualify for a second World Cup.

"In terms of my commitment to the country and in terms of what we're trying to achieve, we're seeing what football brings to this country. It unifies the country and brings people together," the former Manchester United standout said.

"Football has been on the decline for a number of years and certainly being back involved in it...I genuinely believe we have a very outstanding chance of taking this team to the very top.

"It's not about me. It's not about the team, it's about the country unifying them and getting the support in every aspect we can. If we can do that, I'm sure the players will be uplifted enough and encouraged enough to perform at their highest levels. It's a level I pride myself on."