Coach Dwight Yorke: I want to complete what I've started

DESPITE TT's men's football team being knocked out of contention to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Dwight Yorke expressed a desire to continue in the role as head coach should he be given the opportunity to stay on beyond the qualifiers by the TT Football Association (TTFA).

On November 13, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, TT's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup or even progressing to Fifa's intercontinental playoff as one of Concacaf's best second-placed teams went up in flames after a 1-1 draw with Jamaica.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Yorke said the game felt as a gut-punch in many ways, as his team largely dominated a Jamaican outfit which had just one shot on target – a 53rd-minute dagger from flanker Renaldo Cephas who put opposing full back Andre Raymond on skates on a rapid counter, before sending a low right-footed shot past goalkeeper Denzil Smith and into the bottom corner.

The hosts had 62 per cent possession to the Reggae Boyz's 38, while they rattled off 17 shots to Jamaica's six. Just six of TT's shots were on target, though, with an equaliser coming in the 85th minute from substitute Kevin Molino who finished off expertly from close range after the visiting defence failed to deal with a ball which was lobbed into the area.

The late goal wasn't enough for TT as they needed a win to stay in the hunt, with Curacao (11 points) going to the top of the group with their 7-0 mauling of Bermuda. The draw took Jamaica to ten points as they were bumped down to second spot in Group B of Concacaf's final round, with TT (six points) staying in third place with just the solitary match left against Bermuda at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on November 18. TT can only attain a maximum of nine points.

Visibly disappointed, Yorke said he was proud of his players as he felt they had done everything possible to get a result. Not for the first time in this final round, though, the finishing from the home team proved to be their Achilles' heel as they couldn't get three points the coach felt their play warranted.

"It does feel like a defeat to us," Yorke said. "When you look at the stats – and of course, stats don't win you football matches – it's just a fine line. We haven't been able to close the games off...anyone who watches TT play football, certainly, the time I've taken the job to where we are, you have to be proud of these guys."

Yorke was announced as the TT coach on November 1 last year, and the mandate given to him by TTFA president Kieron Edwards was pretty clear at that time: take TT to their second men's World Cup. Yorke said he will need to meet with the TTFA to decipher the next step for him and the team, but his desire to lead his nation still remains.

"After the conversation with the president, the indication was clear within the 12 months to try and get us to the World Cup," he said. "I only have another six months or so on the contract and we'll talk to see if they want me to carry on. I'm very happy with where we are as a team and a country in terms of football.

"But the work begins now. Whatever I built and whatever the outcome is, TT football is in a good place, and I'd think they can certainly improve on that. Whether I'm the person to take them forward or not, that's out of my control. That's in the hands of the hierarchy, as we say. But for me, I carry on the job, and I want to complete the job."

Yorke said he's not fazed by the critics who may call for his head or question his decision-making or tactical adjustments as he knows the buck stops with him as the head coach. For now, he says he's focused on the Bermuda clash and wants his players to end the campaign on a high to maintain their unbeaten record at home in the qualifiers.

Don't wait for a W/Cup campaign to start planning

The 2026 Word Cup qualifying cycle presented a great chance for TT and Concacaf nations on a whole, as three teams will qualify automatically while two others can qualify via the Fifa intercontinental playoffs – all getting the chance to join 2026 hosts Canada, Mexico and the US, three powerhouse teams which didn't feature in this cycle of qualifying for the Concacf region.

With TT's gaze now turning towards the 2030 World Cup at senior level, Yorke was asked if he had any recommendations for the TTFA which will help improve the team's chances of qualifying for future editions.

"I'm sure they will look at it from when I took the job to where we are now. I'm sure they will have aspirations of improving the whole environment, which is something we've been able to do," he said.

"We don't have to wait for a World Cup campaign for all the support and everything else to be put in place. It's a process. You've got to build together to where you want to be. When I took the job, the World Cup campaign was a one-year deal to try and get everything done in terms of recruitment of players and the Grandparents Act. All these things have come into play, which then gives us a better pool of players going forward."

Again, though, he said those decisions are in the hands of the TTFA.

"Where we are, we're still building and improving. Sometimes it doesn't happen over a period of 12 months; it might take two years before you get to the level you want to be at."

Group B standings:

Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

Curacao*5*3*2*0*13*3*10*11

Jamaica*5*3*1*1*11*3*8*10

TT*5*1*3*1*5*4*1*6

Bermuda*5*0*0*5*2*21*-19*0