Latapy replaces Maturana as manager of Trinidad & Tobago

April 9, 2009

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Forty-year-old midfielder Russell Latapy assumed the job as interim manager of Trinidad & Tobago’s national team on Wednesday, replacing Francisco Maturana who resigned from the position, the Trinidad federation said.

Latapy, who has more than 70 caps for the Soca Warriors, will work as a player-coach and be assisted by Zoran Vranes, who qualified the country’s junior team in March for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup later this year in Egypt.

Maturana resigned “due to differences in opinions regarding the way forward in the FIFA 2010 World Cup qualification campaign for South Africa,” the Trinidad federation said in a statement on its Web site.

The change comes a week after Trinidad was beaten 3-0 by the United States in Nashville, Tennessee, leaving the Soca Warriors with two points after three of 10 games in the final round of World Cup qualifying, last in the six-team “hexagonal”.

Latapy, who has played professionally in Scotland since 1998, has participated in Trinidad’s last six World Cup qualifying campaigns, scoring nine goals in 40 games. He also played in the 2006 World Cup finals, when Trinidad became the smallest nation to qualify for the quadrennial championship.

“I’m absolutely delighted with being given opportunity to be coach of my country’s national team,” Latapy said in a statement on the Trinidad Web site. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and the people who’ve been involved with me in football and from a family standpoint over the years all know this.

“The task ahead of us is by no means an easy one but I think once we can get everything together, and with the support of the nation, we can achieve our goal which right now is qualifying for the next World Cup and continuing to take the country’s football forward.”

Trinidad, which failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, will play its next World Cup qualifier on June 6 at home against Costa Rica, followed four days later with a match at Mexico.

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