Head coach of the Barbados senior men’s team Russell Latapy is confident that his players can produce the type of results required in the first leg of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifiers.
The Bajan Tridents are scheduled to depart the country tomorrow (March 10) for a two-weeks training camp at a facility called Cana Cana located in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in preparation for the qualifiers.
Once that all-important camp has concluded to get the senior national side ready, they will travel from March 22 to March 31 to Santo Domingo where the matches are scheduled to be played at the Estadio Olimpico Feliz Sanchez.
“Pretty much we are all aware that unfortunately over the past six to eight weeks we haven’t been able to get out on the pitch,” Latapy said during a virtual press conference via zoom today.
Despite not being able to train as a unit because of national restrictions due to the covid-19 pandemic, Latapy said a lot of the players still managed to maintain a decent fitness level.
“It is not an ideal situation for us going into these games. We haven’t been as a unit on the football pitch for roughly eight weeks, so that makes it difficult.
“I think what is going to happen, once we get to the DR, the boys will get a decent level of physical fitness and then we work on our game preparation. Getting us to gel as a unit, playing the way we want to play and just basically trying to get all the rust out,” Latapy explained.
BFA president Randy Harris revealed that this undertaking to take a full complement of Barbadian players to the Dominican Republic will cost BDS$300, 000.
At least four overseas-based players are expected to meet up with the squad who are preparing for the CONCACAF qualifiers for a place at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022. They are Omani Leacock, Krystian Pearce, Ryan Trotman and Nicholas Blackman.
However, Barbados will not have two of their leading strikers in Thierry Gale and Hallam Hope who are unable to travel because they haven’t been released by their clubs.
There is a possibility that the Bajan Tridents will have a few practice matches in the Dominican Republic before the actual qualifier starts. But Latapy said that was pending confirmation with the other teams.
The Bajan Tridents are in Group D with the likes of Panama who they will face first on Thursday, March 25 followed by Anguilla on Tuesday, March 30.
“We have our clear ideas that we will try to transmit to the team how we would like to play football. I think that in the two years that I have been here we have come a long way in trying to create our identity, our philosophy of the way we play.
“We have two games to go and play. We are fortunate that we are going away for a two-week camp before these two games. So, we can do the best we can in terms of our preparation.
“Again, Panama is the favourite and I think we have nothing to lose. We are going to go and play football and try to get the best possible results that we can,” Latapy stressed.
BFA general secretary Edwyn Wood noted that the delegation travelling for the qualifiers had been vaccinated. Also, as it relates to the protocols, Wood said that the delegation has specific guidelines to follow as outlined by Dr Rene Best, chairman of the Barbados Sports Medicine Association.
According to Wood, the team which for the first time will be managed by referee Khadijah Mars, will be tested before each match and before returning home to Barbados. The general secretary also revealed that the BFA has ordered a rapid test that the delegation will have in their possession.
“We had the entire team tested on Sunday and we are moving the delegation on a chartered flight to the Dominican Republic. We have some protocols on the ground once we reach DR (Dominican Republic).
“We were constantly collaborating with the Dominican Republic federation so that we could put some stuff in place. The training site is a facility where everything that we need is in one place. The medical facility, the training facility, everything is in one location. So, once we go there, there is no reason for anybody to leave the facility to get anything,” Wood said.
The full squad: Kishmar Primus, Liam Brathwaite, Carl Hinkson, Mario Williams, Akeem Hill, Rashad Smith, Ackeel Applewhaite, Najee Holder, Jomo Harris, Nocoli Brathwaite, Darico King, Hadan Holligan, Raheim Sargeant, Romario Drakes, Roshon Gittens, Jamol Williams, Niall Reid- Stephen, Emile Saimovici, Rashad Jules, Keon Atkins, Omani Leacock, Krystian Pearce, Ryan Trotman and Nicholas Blackman
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
