Trinidad and Tobago’s national football team, the Soca Warriors, suffered a 3-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in a closed-door friendly match in Riyadh. The game, which took place outside the official FIFA match window, marked Dwight Yorke’s first match as the head coach of the team.
Early Setback for T&T
The match began with a disappointing start for the Soca Warriors. In the 13th minute, T&T conceded a penalty, which was calmly converted by Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Alshehri, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. Despite efforts to find an equalizer, Trinidad and Tobago went into halftime trailing by a single goal.
Saudi Arabia Extends Lead
In the second half, Saudi Arabia continued to dominate. Just eight minutes after the restart, Abdullah Alhamddan doubled the lead for the hosts, scoring in the 53rd minute. T&T struggled to break down the Saudi defense, and the game appeared to be slipping away from them.
Late Goal from T&T
As the match neared its conclusion, the Soca Warriors managed to pull one back in the dying moments. In the added-on time, substitute Jamal Jack scored a consolation goal for Trinidad and Tobago, reducing the deficit to 3-1. However, it was too little too late, and Saudi Arabia held firm to secure the win.
Yorke’s First Challenge
The defeat marks a tough start for Dwight Yorke in his role as head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team. Despite the loss, Yorke will likely take valuable lessons from the match as he looks to build and shape his squad for future competitions. The Soca Warriors will now focus on regrouping and improving ahead of their next international fixtures.
