Football Facts
This is Trinidad & Tobago’s first World Cup, even though, in 1989, they announced a national holiday to celebrate qualification for the 1990 World Cup, only to be beaten by the USA 1-0 in the decisive game and miss out.
This year fourth place in the CONCACAF qualifying group gave them a World play-off with Bahrain, which they won 2-1 over two legs.
Trinidad and Tobago declared a public holiday to celebrate the nation’s soccer victory against Bahrain that sent it to the World Cup finals for the first time.
Dutchman Leo Beenhakker is their coach.
Best known players are the aging Dwight Yorke and Birmingham City’s Stern John.
Ranked 50th in the world, England, Paraguay and Sweden are their opponents.
A remarkable 15 of their 23-man squad for the finals play league football in either England or Scotland. Only Shaka Hislop plays in the English Premiership, while three play regularly for top-flight teams in Scotland.
The team’s outstanding player, Aurtis Whitley, is coached by Fenwick at Jabloteh.
Country profile
Trinidad & Tobago is inhabited mostly by people of African and Indian descent and is one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean, thanks to its large reserves of oil and gas.
Thanks to its oil and gas reserves, Trinidad is currently enjoying an economic boom.
It is the smallest country at the 2006 World Cup finals, with a population of just 1.3 million.
The two islands are contrasting: the smaller Tobago is relaxed, slow-paced and largely undeveloped, whereas Trinidad is densely populated with a cosmopolitan population and strong regional influences.
Unemployment rate: 8%
World Cup Itinerary:
Group B
Sweden (10 June)
England (15 June)
Paraguay (20 June)
Debbie O’Halloran
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