KINGSTON, Jamaica – Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors will square off with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in a friendly international match at the National Stadium in Kingston on March 26, 2008.
The match was agreed upon by both the Trinidad and Tobago and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) this weekend with a view to both teams using it as part of preparations for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
It will be the first meeting in almost three years for the only two English-speaking Caribbean teams to achieve World Cup Finals qualification.
In their last clash, Jamaica came away 2-1 winners in a Digicel Cup encounter in February 2005. There will also be a return fixture in Trinidad and Tobago at a date to be determined.
March 26 will also see the second leg of the first round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers taking place but with both T&T and Jamaica having a first-round bye, they will use the opportunity to tune up for their second round ties scheduled for June 2008. Both teams are expected to field teams inclusive of their overseas-based professionals.
Interesting matchup
The game, which was organised through the efforts of TTFF Special Adviser Jack Warner, should be an interesting matchup according to TTFF president Oliver Camps.
“The game comes at an ideal time as both countries will be in the process of getting prepared for the start of their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaigns,” Camps told TTFF Media.
“We always have a good rivalry with Jamaica and I expect that we will have a team inclusive of our best players to put on a good showing on the day,” Camps added.
T&T will be expected to have more of their overseas-based pros, who have not played for the country since October 2006, back in their team for an Ash Wednesday February 7 friendly against Guadeloupe at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.
