T&T lose to Gabon on Penalties
Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s team concluded their FIFA Series campaign with a 3–2 penalty shootout loss to Gabon, following a spirited 2–2 draw after regulation time in an end-to-end contest on Monday.
Gabon opened the scoring in the first half through midfielder Guélor Kanga, who beat Brice with an clinical finish into the top right-hand corner from the edge of the penalty area.
T&T responded strongly after the break, and Levi Garcia brought the teams level in the 53rd minute, finishing confidently to cap a bright spell.
Gabon regained the advantage soon after through Matouti, making it 2–1.
The momentum shifted decisively when Gabon were reduced to ten men when Nzé Bagnama received a second yellow for a badly timed tackle on Nathaniel James, and Trinidad and Tobago moved towards taking control of the contest.
Sustained pressure eventually paid off, with Garcia completing his brace to bring the score to 2–2. Before that he should have levelled when Gabon goalkeeper François Bekale dropped Cardines’ free kick but Garcia volleyed ove.
With the extra man, T&T pushed hard for a winner and created several clear chances in the closing stages. Rio Cardines came close on more than one occasion, while Reon Moore and Deron Payne also found themselves in promising positions but were unable to convert, as Gabon held on to force penalties.
In the shootout, goalkeeper Jabari Brice delivered with two important saves, giving T&T a strong platform.
John Paul Rochford and Reon Moore converted their penalties, but misses from Rio Cardines, Noah Power, and Levi Garcia saw Gabon edge the contest 3–2.
After the match, head coach Derek King praised the team’s effort and progress:
“I’m very pleased with the performance from the team today. I thought we played with good intensity, moved the ball well and most importantly, the players showed real pride and commitment throughout the game.
“We created good moments, we were organized for long periods, and there was a clear improvement in our overall play.
First of all, I thought we did enough in the second half to win the game. We created some very good chances, and at this level, we have to be more clinical and take those opportunities when they come. That’s something we’ve been working towards.
“Of course, we know we are still a work in progress. There are areas we need to continue improving in, particularly in managing certain moments of the game, but that’s part of the development of this group.
“When you look at the two games overall, there are a lot of positives to take. In many ways, the results don’t fully reflect the progress and the quality we’ve shown on the pitch.
“The important thing now is that we build from this. We continue to grow, stay consistent, and keep pushing the standards of the team forward.
“’m proud of the players’ effort, their attitude, and the way they represented the country.”
Despite the narrow shootout defeat, Trinidad and Tobago will take encouragement from a strong second-half performance, a determined comeback, and clear signs of growth as the team continues its development.
