Now that Derek King has been officially confirmed as the head coach of Trinidad and Tobago's men's football team, his first assignment as the permanent coach has been moved up, as TT are scheduled to face South Korea in a friendly in Utah on May 30.
The South Korea friendly was confirmed today via a media release by the TT Football Association (TTFA), which also officially announced King's promotion from interim coach to head coach. On May 2, in an interview with I95.5 FM, TTFA president Kieron Edwards revealed that King was set to be appointed coach on a permanent basis, with the former Joe Public and North East stars coach being given a one-year contract with a renewal option in the first instance.
After he was appointed the team's interim coach on March 6, King oversaw friendlies against Bolivia, Venezuela, and Gabon. TT lost 3-0 and 4-1 to Bolivia and Venezuela, respectively, while they lost to Gabon on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw in regulation time in their Fifa Series encounter.
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| TT men's football team players and staff after collecting their participation medals at the Fifa Series in March. Photos courtesy TTFA |
And though the Fifa international window officially runs from June 1-9, King will hope to have a strong squad assembled for the battle with a Korean team, which will take its place in group A of the 2026 Fifa World Cup alongside Czechia, Mexico and South Africa. Korea will see action on the opening day of the World Cup when they take on Czechia at the Akron Stadium, Mexico, on June 11. In their most recent international friendly matches, Korea lost 4-0 to Ivory Coast on March 28, before losing 1-0 to Austria just three days later. To their credit, Korea did get respective 2-0 and 1-0 wins over Bolivia and Ghana back in November.
After the Korea friendly, TT will take on Russia at the Kaliningrad Stadium, Oktyabrsky Island, Russia, on June 9.
King welcomes the challenge ahead as he looks to forge a clear identity for his team.
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| A king's touch: TT men's football team coach Derek King shows off his close control during a training session. |
"I fully understand the responsibility that comes with representing our country, and I embrace that challenge with focus and determination," he said via the TTFA release. "Our objective is to compete, improve and make the people of TT proud. We will work tirelessly to ensure that every time we step onto the field, we represent the passion and spirit of our nation."
Edwards said King has shown a steady hand during his stint with the team and believes it's the right time to give the latter the coaching responsibility on a permanent basis. Similar to King, Edwards also wants to see consistency and a "clear direction" for the team.
