The TT Football Association (TTFA) has parted ways with men's football team coach Dwight Yorke just ten days before an international friendly with Bolivia, claiming the coach's contract was "terminated by mutual agreement" on February 28.
After media reports earlier today suggested that Yorke had stepped down from the post, the TTFA issued a release which said both parties had agreed to go their separate ways after failing to find a common ground to take the men's football programme forward.
"Following the conclusion of the recent Fifa World Cup qualification campaign in which TT failed to advance to the 2026 World Cup, the executive committee conducted a comprehensive review of the campaign and the overall direction of the men's senior national team programme, inclusive of its technical structure and financial framework," the March 5 release said.
The release said discussions were held with Yorke regarding revised contractual terms and remuneration geared towards the next phase of the setup. However, "after these discussions," the release read, "both parties were unable to reach an agreement on the proposed terms at this time, and it was mutually decided to part ways."
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| Former Trinidad and Tobago men's football team captain and coach, Dwight Yorke. Photo courtesy TTFA |
Yorke was officially appointed TT men's coach on November 1, 2024, and was given a clear mandate to qualify for this year's World Cup. TT finished third in group B of Concacaf's final qualifying round behind Curacao and favourites Jamaica, thus missing out on a spot in the World Cup and the intercontinental playoffs as well.
When Yorke's predecessor, Angus Eve, was relieved of his duties as men's team coach in July 2024, Derek King was appointed on an interim basis, spearheading the team for a handful of matches in the Concacaf Nations League. With TTFA president Kieron Edwards and his board having little time to appoint a new coach before the March 15 Bolivia friendly and subsequent Fifa Series matches against Venezuela (March 27) and Gabon (March 30) in Uzbekistan, King is being tipped to take over the team in the interim once again. It's worth noting that the Bolivia friendly falls outside the March 23-31 Fifa window.
The TTFA thanked Yorke for his commitment and service during his tenure, and insisted the door is not closed to future dialogue between the two parties. It said it remains committed to strengthening the men's team programme and "will continue to act in the best interests of TT football."
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