The Soca Warriors, who made a maiden World Cup appearance at the 2006 tournament in Germany, cruised to a 5-0 win over St Vincent last Saturday and edged Panama 2-1 in a scrappy affair on Wednesday.
By Lisana LiburdBut they are not having it their own way with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF).
The players have not drawn up resignation letters just yet, despite their threat to do so last Friday over the distribution of World Cup sponsorship money. But the future commitment of the Warriors remains in limbo as talks continue between the players and the Federation.
They must dispatch resignation letters at least a week before Trinidad and Tobago's next international assignment away to Austria on November 15 or, if they fail to turn out, the players could face sanctions from FIFA.
"We said that we would only change our minds, if there was a change from the TTFF," said one player, who preferred to remain anonymous. "Nothing has changed yet, so we are still holding our position."
But the player admitted that the 2006 World Cup players had not penned resignation letters, nor had they agreed on a time to do so. "We still have to meet as a group to decide on that," he said.
The paradoxical position of their verbal but non-binding retirement is symptomatic of the complexities and vagaries of the present impasse between players and administrators.
FIFA vice-president and TTFF special adviser Jack Warner, according to the players, offered 50 per cent of revenue generated by the Federation in its 2006 World Cup campaign.
The TTFF agreed to the split but insisted that expenses be deducted before paying the players and, as a result, a declared $18,255,952 bounty was whittled down to just $141,102 for the squad-$5,644.08 per player. The players declined the offer and announced their intention to resign.
But the "Warner World Cup agreement" is still a mystery to the general public and perhaps the players as well. As both parties haggle over details, it is even less certain what promises were put to paper and which ones remained verbal.
The players admitted to initiating discussions with Sport Minister Roger Boynes as well but said those discussions were also "ongoing" and they were advised not to go public regarding details.
The Government's failure to publicly shed light on financial details with the TTFF-particularly as the State has a controlling interest in the sporting body's main local sponsor, TSTT-is confusing.
Three months ago, the Government awarded Chaconia Gold Medals to the Warriors, but Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Boynes have not appeared as willing to stand alongside the players in recent times. The players, too, seem starved for professional help.
The Football Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT) was formed in 2003 and lists the England-based pair of defender Brent Sancho and goalkeeper Kelvin Jack as president and vice-president, respectively, with local midfielder Travis Mulraine as general secretary.
But FPATT has not held a meeting since and remains non-functional, while the players have not shown a clear link with any trade union.
As a result, players like Coventry City striker Stern John and Swansea defender Dennis Lawrence-both with minimal to no experience of such disputes-are left trying to negotiate with TTFF president Oliver Camps and Warner, the FIFA finance committee deputy chairman.
The TTFF look set to offer a new deal. Whether it will do justice to the initial agreement brokered between Warner and the Warriors is another thing altogether.
