Four changes to Trinidad and Tobago team for World Cup qualifiers vs Bermuda, Curacao

TRINIDAD and Tobago men's football team coach Dwight Yorke has made four changes from the last Fifa window for a 26-man squad which will meet Bermuda (October 10) and Curacao (October 14) in a crucial pair of final-round qualifiers for the Fifa 2026 World Cup.

The 26-man squad for the two upcoming matches was revealed on October 6 and sees the inclusion of MIC Central FC Reboot pair of goalkeeper Jabari Brice and centre forward Isaiah Lee, in form Slovakia-based midfielder Molik Jesse Khan and 23-year-old Dutch-born right back Deron Payne, who plies his trade with FC Volendam in the Dutch Eredivisie. Payne received a call-up to the provisional squad for last month's qualifiers against Curacao and Jamaica, but was eventually ruled out with an injury.

The four players to be excluded from last month's 26-man roster are veteran goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, Jamaican-based defender Darnell Hospedales and the Defence Force pair of right back Isaiah Garcia and midfielder Kaihim Thomas.

After two matches in group B play in Concacaf's final qualifying round, TT currently find themselves in third spot on the four-team table on one point. Jamaica (six points) and Curacao (four points) occupy the first two spots on the table and TT will hope to make some ground as the table-toppers meet each other from 7 pm on October 10. From 6 pm at the Bermuda National Sports Centre, Devonshire, on October 10, coach Yorke and his team will aim to handle their business when they meet the cellar-placed Bermuda (zero points) in a battle between two teams still seeking their first win in the final round. In TT's case, they are yet to open their scoring account in the final round.

For those in the TT camp who have lofty World Cup aspirations, this Bermuda clash will likely feel like a must-win game, as they can ill afford to fall further behind the top two teams. At the end of the final round, the top team in each of the three groups will qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the two best second-place teams advancing to the Fifa intercontinental playoffs.

Four days after their meeting with Bermuda, TT are expected to face a tough test when they journey to Willemstad to play Curacao. In their last meeting away to Curacao, TT lost a 5-3 thriller in a Concacaf Nations League A encounter back in October 2023.

Making club form count

The four additions aside, Yorke's squad for the qualifiers sees a number of familiar faces, with playmaker Kevin Molino expected to regain his spot in the starting XI after both he and combative midfielder Daniel Phillips were ruled out of TT's 2-0 loss to Jamaica on September 9 because of suspension. Molino should be in good spirits, as he helped his Defence Force team into the semis of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup with an early long-range strike in a 2-0 win over Dominican Republic outfit Cibao FC on October 1.

Molino aside, a few other first-team regulars have been in sparkling form for their clubs, while right back Rio Cardines made his senior team debut for English Premier League outfit Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League last week.

In Major League Soccer (MLS), winger Dante Sealy has certainly found a golden touch and he dispatched an exquisite left-footed free kick in CF Montreal's 1-1 draw with Nashville SC on October 4. Sealy's free kick came on the heels of a brace against Charlotte FC on September 27, when he curled in another sublime free kick from just outside the area. The 22-year-old Sealy, who scored a brace on his TT debut in a second-round qualifier against St Kitts and Nevis in June, has scored nine MLS goals this season, with seven of them coming in the last nine matches.

In Russia, ace TT forward Levi Garcia has also been among the goals as he scored a penalty in a 2-1 Russian Cup win over Nizhny Novgorod on October 1, before scoring his team's second item in a 3-2 loss to rivals CSKA Moscow on October 5. After CSKA jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 18 minutes, Spartak pulled back a goal in the 21st minute through Portuguese midfielder Gedson Fernandes, before Garcia netted in the 57th minute when he pounced on a missed clearance at the back stick by CSKA defender Moises.

Garcia's goal against CSKA brought his season tally to four from 12 matches, but he will be looking to translate that form to national colours after scoring a hat-trick of offside goals against the Reggae Boyz in TT's last World Cup qualifier.

With a few attacking players in fine fettle for their clubs, there's no shortage of options for Yorke in the final third as players such as Real Gill, Nathaniel James, Ryan Telfer, Lincoln City's Justin Obikwu and MLS flanker Tyrese Spicer are also in the squad.

With goalkeeper Phillip's absence, Denzil Smith is likely to command the number one spot again, with centre back Kobi Henry also likely to assume a starting place after an impressive showing on his TT debut last month. In midfield, the 21-year-old Khan, who has so far scored six goals in 12 games this season for AS Trencin, should add good depth in central midfield alongside players such as Molino, Phillips, Wayne Frederick II, Andre Rampersad and Steffen Yeates.

The TT squad is currently in Miami for a training camp and are expected to arrive in Bermuda on October 8. TT will conclude the final round with home matches against the Reggae Boyz (November 13) and Bermuda (November 18).

TT 26-man squad for October World Cup qualifiers:

Goalkeepers: Jabari Brice, Jabari St Hillaire, Denzil Smith.

Defenders: Rio Cardines, Justin Garcia, Kobi Henry, Jerrin Jackie, Deron Payne, Noah Powder, Andre Raymond, Josiah Trimmingham.

Midfielders: Kaile Auvray, Wayne Frederick II, Real Gill, Molik Jesse Khan, Kevin Molino, Daniel Phillips, Andre Rampersad, Tyrese Spicer, Ryan Telfer, Steffen Yeates.

Forwards: Levi Garcia, Nathaniel James, Isaiah Lee, Justin Obikwu, Dante Sealy.