The remaining two teams that will qualify for the CONCACAF finals, to be staged next March in the United States, will be decided this weekend, following the matches scheduled for Warner Park, when Trinidad & Tobago, St. Kitts & Nevis, Cuba and Suriname, meet in Basseterre.
Recognizing that only two will move on to the next stage, coaches for the four teams have been expressing confidence that their nation is the one that has the best chance to qualify. Speaking at press conference in Basseterre, on Wednesday morning, the coaches assured the media and football fans listening to the broadcast that their players are focused, physically fit and determined to secure the required victories in the upcoming games.
Those emerging with the top points from the matches to be played on Thursday 24th, Saturday 26th and Monday 28th November, will join the United States, Canada, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama, for the eight team finals from 22nd March to 2nd April, 2012.
Those games will be played in Nashville, Tennessee, Kansas City, Kansas and Los Angeles, California. From here, the top teams will qualify for the Olympics.
Meanwhile, all the teams playing in St. Kitts this week have called up their foreign based players to strengthen their chances of moving on to the next stage.
Officials of the St. Kitts & Nevis Football Association, SKNFA have indicated that they are ready and are only now completing final touches that are necessary to ensure an “on time” start of the games, scheduled for 6:00pm and 8:00pm nightly.
On Wednesday, the teams were engaged in a promotional walk through the city centre of Basseterre, accompanied by other top national sporting figures including members of the successful National 4x100m Relay team and the OECS U23 Netball Champions from St. Kitts.
In the opening games on Thursday night, Cuba will play Trinidad & Tobago in the first game, to be followed by the clash with St. Kitts & Nevis and Suriname.