Summary

• Friendly Defeat: A young and inexperienced Trinidad and Tobago senior football team lost 3-0 to Bolivia in an international friendly in Santa Cruz on Sunday.
• Tough Conditions: Playing in challenging high-altitude conditions, more than half of T&T’s squad gained their first taste of international competition against a relentless Bolivian attack.
• World Cup Prep: The comfortable victory serves as a confidence booster for Bolivia as they prepare for the Inter-Confederation 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs against Suriname.

 

SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA — Trinidad and Tobago’s youthful senior football team went down 3-0 to Bolivia on Sunday in an international friendly match at the Ramon Tahuichi Aguilera Stadium in Santa Cruz.

Despite the scoreline, coach Derek King’s men gained valuable experience, with more than half the squad being exposed to international competition for the first time.

Goalkeeper Jabari Brice was at his absolute best from the start, as the Bolivians—deep in preparation for their World Cup qualifying campaign—attacked the T&T goal relentlessly.

The youthful T&T team played with a high backline against the quick, short-passing Bolivian game, and nearly got caught out in the 10th minute. Fernando Nava broke the offside trap from a through-ball that left him alone against Brice. However, before he could pull the trigger, defender Jesse Williams launched a desperate tackle, winning the ball cleanly to foil the attack.

Nava, operating down the left flank, later delivered a pinpoint cross into the T&T penalty area for Luis Haquin. Haquin connected with a one-time attempt in the 18th minute, but Brice somehow fisted it wide to keep the game scoreless.

However, T&T could do nothing when Nava turned up unmarked on the left flank in the 23rd minute. This time, when he crossed for Haquin to head goalwards, defender Alvin Jones accidentally turned the ball into his own net as he tried to clear it.

King’s young team understandably struggled to find their rhythm as they battled the high-altitude conditions combined with first-time international exposure.

The home team went two goals up in the 38th minute. An unmarked Tonino Melgar released Moises Villarroel inside the box. With a fluent movement, Villarroel set up Juan Sinforiano Godoy Vinales, who bundled the ball across the line.

The home side picked up right where they left off in the second half. From another neat build-up around the T&T goal area, Godoy Vinales was set free inside the box. He delivered a cross for Nava to tap into an empty net in the 52nd minute, sealing the 3-0 victory.

Bolivia will enter the upcoming Inter-Confederation 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs as a more confident squad. The Bolivians will face Suriname in Path B, and if successful, will meet Iraq for a place at this year’s FIFA World Cup. (CMC)