T&T's Latapy facing axe after massive DCC failure

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago head coach Russell Latapy's fate will be determined tomorrow when the top brass of the country's Football Federation sit down to mull over his failed campaign with the national side in the Digicel Caribbean Cup (DCC).

T&T, installed as pre-tournament favourites, tumbled out in the group stage of the finals in Martinique earlier this month, after suffering two straight losses to Cuba and Grenada, respectively.

Football Federation President Oliver Camps has slated a meeting with his executive committee, inclusive of General Secretary Richard Groden, special adviser and CONCACAF president Jack Warner, technical adviser Keith Look Loy and technical director Lincoln Phillips, to discuss Latapy's future.

Hint at possible exit

On Tuesday, Warner hinted at a possible Latapy exit when he said that coaches could only maintain their jobs based on positive results.

Prior to the start of the Digicel Cup, Sports Minister Anil Roberts said Latapy's job would be in jeopardy if T&T could not win the tournament.

His comments came following a string of poor results by the Soca Warriors, where they drew 1-1 draw away to Guyana, suffered a disappointing nil-all stalemate with Belize, before being hammered 3-0 by Panama.

Overall, Latapy won nine of 23 matches, with 11 defeats and three draws.

Already, speculation is swirling over a replacement for Latapy, with former French international Jean Tigana and Dutch legend Ruud Gullit said to be front-runners for the position.

The 55-year-old Tigana, who won a European Championship in 1984 with France, is currently the coach of French League One club Girondins Bordeaux, and could come with a high price tag.

A World Cup semi-finalist in 1982 and 1986, Tigana also won a French League title with Bordeaux as a player in 1984, followed by two other triumphs with Olympique Marseille in 1990 and 1991.

Tigana was rumoured to be a target for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation following the resignation of Colombian Francisco Maturana in April last year, when the Soca Warriors made a dismal start to the 2010 FIFA World Cup final-round qualifying campaign.

Latapy was instead hired on a temporary basis before being handed a two-year deal.

Gullit, meanwhile, is a former European (1987) and World (1989) Player-of-the-Year winner and starred for Italian giants AC Milan during the height of his playing career and is currently without a coaching job.

He was in T&T earlier this year as part of the joint Belgium-Holland World Cup bid team.

Former Reggae Boyz coach Bora Milutinovic is also said to be an outside contender for the post.