Trinidad and Tobago knocked out of World Cup

Trinidad and Tobago’s bid to stay alive in the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended in disappointment on Thursday night as the national side was held to a 1-1 draw by Jamaica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Coach Dwight Yorke, who had spoken in recent weeks about his ambition to guide the team back to football’s biggest stage, watched those hopes slip away as the result left his players short of the points needed to remain competitive in their qualifying group.

The draw moved Trinidad and Tobago to six points from five matches. Jamaica climbed to ten, while Curacao seized control of the group on eleven after a dominant win over Bermuda. With only one match left, Trinidad and Tobago can reach a maximum of nine points, not enough to break into the top two. Jamaica and Curacao will meet on November eighteen in a decisive fixture. Jamaica needs a victory to secure one of the automatic berths for the 2026 tournament, which will be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The home crowd saw an energetic start from Trinidad and Tobago as Levi Garcia created the first clear opportunity midway through the opening half, slipping into the penalty area before pushing a shot just wide. Jamaica responded with a sharp effort from Tyrese Spencer that drew a strong save from goalkeeper Andre Blake. The visitors then appeared to score through Jonathan Russell only for the effort to be ruled offside after a VAR check.

Jamaica found the breakthrough shortly after the interval when Renaldo Cephas completed a sweeping move down the left side, cutting inside to drive the ball into the far corner. Trinidad and Tobago pressed for a reply and nearly drew level when Garcia sent a header narrowly past the post with just under twenty minutes remaining. Substitute Kevin Molino finally restored momentum for the hosts in the eighty fifth minute, steering in from close range. But despite sustained pressure in the final minutes, the deciding goal never came.

While Trinidad and Tobago faltered, Curacao delivered the night’s most emphatic performance in Bermuda. Leandro Bacuna opened the scoring from the penalty spot early in the match and Juninho Bacuna added a second before debutant Jordi Paulina forced and converted another penalty to extend the lead. Curacao continued to score freely through Sonja Hansen, Paulina again, Ar’Jany Martha and Roshon van Eijma, closing out a comprehensive victory that leaves them in command of the group heading into the final round.

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