Eve eyes more improvements as Soca Warriors seek to build on fairly successful 2023 campaign

By Sports Desk January 02, 2024
Angus Eve Angus Eve file

Despite being pleased with how things went last year, Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s Head coach Angus Eve, says there is still more work to be done with sights set on this year’s Copa America and, by extension, 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup qualification.

Eve’s men will kick the year off with the Copa America playoff against Canada in March, where victory would put them into the prestigious CONMEBOL tournament scheduled to take place in the United States in June.

“We said we want to go back to where we are competing against these teams. We are now in the last eight of Concacaf, fighting in the last four for a place in the Copa America. Who would have thought in a couple of months we would have been here?” Eve asked rhetorically, during an end-of-year interview with TTFA Media.

One of the Soca Warriors’ biggest accomplishments for 2023, was their 2-1 victory over United States in the second-leg of the Concacaf Nations League A quarterfinals.

Still, Eve pointed out that the work continues.

“There is a lot more to be done. Player development, exposure for players is so important and playing at the higher levels consistently. Then, we will get more players playing outside of Trinidad and Tobago like we used to,” he said.

“The clubs have to understand that sometimes you need to take the players for four days. We have to work in tandem with each other to get the players where we want them to be,” Eve added.

Reflecting on their journey since 2021, Eve confessed that explained that much like the players, he too has benefited from exposure via coaching courses, and rubbing shoulders with top coaches in the region.

“It has motivated me even more to do well because of the level of professionalism; the type of people you’re rubbing shoulders with. You learn by having conversations (and) the most that I would have learned is when I have conversations with other coaches at the side, or with the tutors and lecturers,” Eve revealed.

Looking ahead, the tactician hopes for greater Government and corporate support, as he requested a more professional approach, improved staffing, proper processes put in place, and regular exposure for his charges.

“The local players need to be playing more. Even if we get an international game every two months,” Eve declared.

“America came down with about 35 (staff) members. They had a whole hospital set up. They had a whole technical department set up with all the analytics and things. Our department is one guy, McShine and the other department is one guy, Derek King. And the other department (medical) is one guy, doctor Danai. Everything is one guy, when other people have departments for these things,” he stressed.

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