Technical Director happy with World Cup Qualifiers draw

Keith Ollivierre, technical director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation is pleased with the pairing for the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers.{{more}}

When the draw was made last Saturday in St Petersburg, Russia, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Vincy Heat was pitted against Aruba in a home and away tie set for September 4 and 8.

Whilst respecting the opponents Aruba, Ollivierre said it was a draw which suits his team.

“We are comfortable with the draw and based on what we know, we are confident of advancing,” Ollivierre told SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday at a training session of the team at the Sion Hill Playing Field.

“The match is played on the day, but we think we can overcome them,” Ollivierre explained.

Ollivierre said that members of the technical staff have already looked at some of Aruba’s most recent matches and have analysed them and have since begun to plan accordingly.

St Vincent and the Grenadines advanced to this phase on the away goals ruling, after the second round matches on June 10 ended 2-2 and June 14, 4-4.

However, the Guyana Football Federation filed an appeal to FIFA, claiming that British born player Gavin James did not possess a Vincentian passport.

But president of the SVGFF Venold Coombs, speaking on the matter on Monday, said he acted “expeditiously” on the matter, although he was in New Zealand when the protest action first surfaced on June 18.

Referring to himself as a “tactician,” Coombs said that FIFA had set a precedent, as Curacao, during the first round of the campaign, used a player with a Belgian passport against Montserrat.

Coombs said this reference was in addition to other documents supporting James’ eligibility, which he felt were in favour of St Vincent and the Grenadines to withstand Guyana’s protest.

“I was confident, based on what FIFA wanted that we were going to prevail…So we have won; the country win and football win,” Coombs said forcefully.

The local football head noted that they did not receive any official correspondence on the protest from FIFA, but despite progressing to the next round, he expects that the SVGFF will be fined or otherwise sanctioned.

“That is the normal course … FIFA gives punishment for all kind of things,” Coombs commented.

Should St Vincent and the Grenadines get past Aruba, they will be placed in Group C of the fourth round, which also comprises the US, Trinidad and Tobago and the winner of the third round tie between Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala.

The other CONCACAF pairings set for third round decision on September 4 and 8 see Curacao meeting El Salvador, Grenada facing Haiti, Canada versus Belize and Jamaica against Nicaragua.

Meanwhile, the winners of the Curacao/El Salvador and Canada/Belize ties would be heaped with Mexico and Honduras in Group A of the fourth round, while either Grenada or Haiti or one of Jamaica or Nicaragua will be pooled with Costa Rica and Panama to configure Group B.

In round five, the winners and runners-up from the three groups from round four then form the hexagonal group.

Then, the three top teams go directly to the final in Russia, 2018, with the fourth place engaged in a play-off with the Asian zone.(RT)