Walter Alibey
Only a day after being cleared by the world governing body for football - FIFA to play for T&T against Costa Rica in a World Cup Qualifier, midfielder John Bostock, an English born footballer with T&T parentage, has withdrawn from the squad.
A release from the T&T Football Association yesterday stated the RC Lens midfielder told national coach Stephen Hart that he was unable to travel this week to join the squad as planned, citing personal reasons. He will also miss the Honduras encounter carded for next Wednesday, in Tegucigalpa.
The 24- year old was expected to be a major boost for T&T in its opening match of the six-team final round qualifiers that will see the top three gaining automatic qualification to the World Cup in Russia, with the fourth placed entering an inter-continental play-off.
Bostock also issued a statement to the football association, saying he hopes to make his international debut for T&T in the not to distant future.
Bostock stated: “As many may know, it has been a long process in receiving the clearance from FIFA, so understandably it is now with deep regret that due to personal reasons that I’m unable to disclose, I cannot play for Trinidad and Tobago at this stage.
“I wish coach Stephen Hart and the boys all the best for the upcoming games. I will of course be following the matches closely and God willing, I will be able to make my international bow in the not too distant future.”
Hart said he spoke to Bostock who was emotional in expressing his withdrawal. He was told it was due to a family situation which Bostock did not want to disclose.
“We have 23-players in the squad and we will get on with the business of preparing for Friday’s match. The mood is good and upbeat after the first couple of sessions and everyone appears to be in a good physical and mental state of mind based on how things have looked on the training field so far and we’ll have everybody in by today and with that we’ll move ahead full steam with the preparations,” Hart noted.
The squad got down to business again yesterday as preparation continued for Friday’s qualifier against Costa Rica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Some of the remaining players checked into camp including Dutch-based winger Levi Garcia, Khaleem Hyland, Mexican-based duo Yohance Marshall and Jomal Williams and Russian-based defender Sheldon Bateau.
Hart conducted an evening session at the Stadium as the hosts began to intensify its build up to the encounter.
The Costa Rican team is scheduled in Port of Spain tomorrow night but members of their media contingent have started arriving and were expected to attend the 15-minute window at the start of T&T’s training session yesterday.
Estonian-based defender Radanfah Abu Bakr noted that the mood was upbeat in the T&T camp.
“It’s positive as always and we’re looking forward to a few intense training sessions ahead of what is a massive game for us on Friday,” Abu Bakr said.
“We know we had to bounce back from that result against Martinique. This is a different competition and there is a lot more at stake. It’s World Cup and we all want to be part of that. Hopefully we can get a good start on Friday.”
“It’s just ten games and we know how difficult it is to travel and earn points in Concacaf and we want to take full advantage of playing at home on Friday and then take that momentum in the next game four days later.
“I’m in good physical shape coming off my season in Estonia which has just finished. I’m in good form,healthy and mentally I’m raring to go,” Abu Bakr added.
Abu Bakr has played professionally in England, Belgium, Lithuania, Denmark, Kazakhstan and Trinidad and Tobago. He is currently based in Estonia with JK Sillamae Kalev.
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