Sports
Jonathan Ramnanansingh
EX-TRINIDAD and Tobago men’s football team striker and captain Kenwyne Jones has been appointed coach of the TT Women Warriors team.
Jones, whose six-week term as interim coach concludes on November 30, was officially announced as the team’s official coach by the TT Football Association (TTFA) on Friday.
Jones took on the role of interim women’s coach from October 18 and now assumes full-time responsibility for the team on Wednesday.
He was given a nine-month contract that provides him the option to extend his term for a further year, based on the achievement of key performance indicators and a successful performance appraisal.
The statement read, “The TTFA’s decision to appoint Jones follows solid 0-0 and 1-1 performances against Panama at the Ato Boldon Stadium in October, the positive atmosphere that he has created within the team, and the improved dynamic between the players and technical staff.”
On his appointment, Jones was pleased to take up the role.
He said, “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with the staff and players, proud to continue serving my country, and I look forward to helping push the women’s game forward.”
After guiding the women’s team to two draws against Panama, Jones returned to competitive duty in an international friendly against Dominican Republic in San Cristobal on Friday. The team plays another friendly match against the host nation on Tuesday.
Normalisation committee chairman Robert Hadad praised Jones’ work ethic and believes he is a good fit to lead the team.
Hadad said, “Kenwyne has done a really good job with the team during his short stint, as was demonstrated on the field against Panama.
“We had a meeting with him and he was excited with the prospect of continuing his work with the players. I believe the players are equally excited. We have agreed on clear performance targets, which we all hope will be achieved.”
A UEFA ‘A’ licence holder, Jones will now take the team into the 2022 Concacaf women’s qualifiers, with games against Nicaragua on February 17, Dominica on February 20, the Turks and Caicos on April 9, and Guyana on April 12, 2022.
The top placed team in the group will qualify to compete in the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championships in July 2022.
