Former T&T goalkeeper Shaka Hislop believes that the recent developments orchestrated by the T&T Football Association, particularly the showing of the senior men’s team at the Concacaf Gold Cup is an indication of a new era for local football. Hislop, an ESPN Analyst, was speaking on Saturday night as he visited the T&T team hotel at the Westin Plaza, Atlanta following the 1-0 defeat to Mexico. Hislop was in attendance at the Georgia Dome before meeting up with the T&T players and staff members.
“We have seen a new dawn in many respects in the national game and it’s good looking at it from a fan’s perspective to have something to cheer about, to have something to be excited and optimistic about and I think this tournament ticked all of those boxes,” Hislop said. “This is all a breath of fresh air after the period we had on the back of 2006 , the failures of the national team which were underlined by an ongoing court battle and now as everyone knows there is a change is administration and the court case has been settled.”
Commenting specifically on the team’s display against the six-time Gold Cup champions on Saturday, Hislop said, “I felt it was a fantastic performance and one that underlined what I felt all along which is that the team grew in the tournament not just in confidence but in the way they played the game, the understanding of the game, both tactically and technically and it was as good a performance that we’ve seen from a T&T national team for a very long time.”
The former Newcastle United and Reading custodian is not overwhelmed by the progress but keen to see ongoing development and expects Stephen Hart and Leo Beenhakker to continue the momentum but said it would require a collective effort from those concerned with T&T football. “It gives us a platform to build on. I’m not going to fool myself into thinking by any means that this is a finished product. But given what we have had to ensure over the years as fans and players, its good to see there is something to work with. “The team is progressing and we are hopeful for the coming future,” said Hislop.