King announces Squad to face Korea
KING ANNOUNCES SQUAD FOR SOUTH KOREA FRIENDLY IN UTAH
Head Coach Derek King has announced a 22-man Trinidad and Tobago squad for the upcoming international friendly against South Korea on May 30th at the BYU South Field in Utah, USA.
The squad includes three new faces in United Arab Emirates based midfielder Ali Kazim Nakhid, Lexington Sporting Club defender Jacob Greene and Scotland-based defender Kieran Ngwenya, all of whom will have an opportunity to make an impression as the national team continues its preparations and player evaluation process.
Nakhid, 26, is a central midfielder for Al-Ittifaq FC in the United Arab Emirates First Division League.He was born in the UAE and is eligible to represent T&T through his father, former outstanding national team captain David Nakhid.
Greene, age 23, has represented the US on two occasions at Under 20 level and is a former player with DC United and Columbus Crew II. He currently plays for USL Championship side Lexington SC.
Also returning to the national set-up are USA-based pair Dante Sealy and Kobi Henry, while English-based midfielder Daniel Phillips, Molik Khan and Judah Garcia have all been recalled to the squad.
Levi Garcia, Ajani Fortune and Rio Cardines have been excused from the squad, while Wayne Frederick II, Tyrese Spicer and Luke Singh are unavailable through injury. Cardines’ Crystal Palace plays in the Europa Conference League Final tomorrow. Both Nathaniel James and Dantaye Gilbert were also unavailable as both their clubs are in end of season playoffs.
King said the fixture represents another valuable opportunity to continue developing the national programme while testing the squad against strong international opposition.
“As we prepare for this important international match against South Korea, we understand the quality and experience of the opposition,” King said.
“They (South Korea) are a World Cup-level team with strong organization, discipline and technical ability, so this will be a very good test for our players and for the direction we are building as a national team.”
“At the same time, this match presents an opportunity for us to continue evaluating and exposing new players to the international level. We are pleased to welcome players such as Greene, Ngwenya and Nakhid into the environment as we continue expanding the player pool and building healthy competition within the squad.”
King also acknowledged the absent players, wishing them a safe return.
“Unfortunately, we will be without a few important players. Levi and Fortune have been excused from the squad, while Spicer, Luke and Frederick are unavailable due to injuries. We wish them all a speedy recovery and look forward to having them back involved soon.”
Despite the absences, King stressed that the long-term objectives of the programme remain unchanged.
“Our focus remains on building a team with discipline, character and pride in representing Trinidad and Tobago. Every camp and every international game is an important step in the process as we continue working towards making Trinidad and Tobago football competitive again at the highest level in Concacaf.
“We ask the nation to continue supporting the players and staff as we move forward together.”
The locally-based contingent is scheduled to depart on Wednesday night, with the full squad assembling in Utah on Thursday ahead of the encounter.
King will announce his line up for the match versus Russia on June 9th following the encounter against the Koreans.
