FIFA vice-president Warner - Reuters

PORT OF SPAIN,

Trinidad (CMC):

CONCACAF BOSS Jack Warner believes Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors can still qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Soca Warriors made history in 2006 when they qualified for the event in South Africa, becoming only the second English-speaking team in the Caribbean to achieve the feat following Jamaica in 1998.

"We have the capacity and ability to qualify again for 2010 once we get our act together. I have extreme confidence that we shall do it," Warner said.

He implored the local federation to work with the major stakeholders in order to ensure T&T repeated their historic feat.

Working for assistance

"I have told the football federation to let their politics work for them," said Warner, also a FIFA vice-president.

"If they do that, they should have very good working relationship with the government and the Ministry of Sport to make sure the assistance that they need ... they have it on an ongoing basis."I repeat, the federation alone cannot do it. It has to be a collective responsibility of the federation, business (and) definitely the government."

Since their 2006 success, however, national team affairs have taken a turn for the worse with the World Cup squad embroiled in a legal dispute with the local federation over monies allegedly owed them. The dispute has resulted in the team's top-flight players being overlooked for selection and a weakened unit, comprising local-based players, being chosen for competition.

Warner, who was at the forefront of T&T's World Cup qualification, said he was looking forward to the start of the qualifying campaign.

"Our first World Cup qualifying match will be in June and it will be a very big affair," Warner, also a special adviser to the local federation, said.

"We hope to also have our Caribbean colleagues to take part in the events because this is a milestone."