Bajan Tridents aim to give their all in upcoming outing

Despite not having all of their overseas-based players available for their next outing, the Bajan Tridents are still expected to put in a solid performance later this month when they finally begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification journey. These are the words of the national team's head coach Russell Latapy, as he spoke to members of the media yesterday during a ZOOM briefing.

With the team leaving the island today on a chartered flight for the Dominican Republic, Latapy said that he was sure the boys would give their all in the upcoming two games. “We have our clear ideas that we have tried to transcript to the team – how we would like to play football. I think in the two years I have been here we have come a long way in trying to create our identity and philosophy of the way we play. And we have two games to go and play and we are fortunate that we are getting away for a two week camp before these two games so we can do the best we can in terms of our preparation,” he said.

With the Barbados Football Association having Thierry Gale, Hallam Hope, Omani Leacock, Nick Blackman, Krystian Pearce and latest prospect Ryan Trotman on their radar for this upcoming assignment, Latapy revealed that it was highly likely that Gale and Hope would not be making it due to club commitments and other issues, and stated that he completely understood why they would be unavailable. “In relation to Thierry, it is difficult for him getting out of Hungary. We have also communicated with Hallam. In his particular situation – where his team is and the minutes that he is getting – it is difficult. We are not going to force the players to represent us. We're never going to put the players in a situation where it interferes with their livelihood.What we do is we invite the players and hopefully everything aligns in a way that these players can come and represent us when we are playing,” he said.

The squad is to be named pending the results of COVID-19 PCR tests, and it was revealed that the entire delegation would be under heavy manners as it relates to health and safety protocols. Headed to a secure bubble at the Cap Cana facility in Punta Cana, the team will be subject to regular testing, including prior to each game and will also be in possession of rapid antigen tests. Having had most of the delegation vaccinated already, they will live and train in Punta Cana until March 22ndwhen they move over to Santo Domingo for the games. The team is set to return on March 31st.

In addition to not having access to all the desired players, the team would have also faced the challenge of being unable to train for the last six to eight weeks due to the 'national pause'. However, Latapy said that they would be making the most of their time at Cap Cana as they were getting in a two-week training camp ahead of the games. “It is not an ideal situation for us going into these games. Really we haven't been as a unit on the football pitch for roughly eight weeks, so that makes it difficult. What is going to happen once we get to the DR the boys would have a decent level of physical fitness and then we work on our game preparation, getting us to gel as unit, playing the way we want to play, and just trying basically to get all the rust out and get us firing on all cylinders,” he said.

Despite all of that Latapy said that his team had nothing to lose and that they were going to play football and get the best result they could. With Panama as the clear favourite in the group, which also includes Dominica, Anguilla and the hosts, Latapy said that there was a good chance of getting a practice game during their camp but the stars needed to align for that to happen. “I know there is a possibility, speaking with some of the other coaches, that we can get a game. The question is though, I don't know if we'll be ready to play when these other teams are ready to play. There is no point in us going and trying to play a training game if we are not where we should be in terms of our preparation. I think our first seven or eight days there will determine a lot in terms of our physical fitness, in terms of how we gel, the information that we give out that they take on board, and once we see where we are, then we can determine if we are ready for this game or not,” he said.

With the assignment costing the association in the region $300,000, the Tridents are slated to take on the 78th ranked Panama on the 25th of March and Anguilla on the 28th.

Players list: Kishmar Primus, Liam Brathwaite, Carl Hinkson, Mario Williams, Akeem Hill, Rashad Smith, Ackeel Applewhaite, Najee Holder, Jomo Harris, Nicoli Brathwaite, Darico King, Hadan Holligan, Raheim Sargeant, Roshon Gittens, Jamol Williams, Niall Reid-Stephen, Emile, Saimovici, Rashad Jules, Keon Atkins Omani Leacock, Krystian Pearce, Ryan Trotman, Nicholas Blackman.