PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors, the current No 1 in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), are heading to Kingston today for a huge midweek friendly international against Jamaica's Reggae Boyz.

The T&T squad will depart the Piarco International Airport at 8:00 am today and tackle the Jamaicans on Wednesday at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) Media website said 11 players and team officials will leave here and are expected to be joined by the invited overseas pros, including US-based striker Randi Patterson, who made his debut for T&T in last Wednesday's 1-0 victory over El Salvador at the Marvin Lee Stadium.

Patterson flew back to the USA afterwards and starred for Charleston Battery in a preseason Carolina Cup encounter against US Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Toronto FC.
Patterson hit a double in Charleston's 2-0 win on Saturday, leaving his team's head coach Mike Anhaeuser pleased to have him in a Battery uniform.

Collin Samuel also played a full 90 for Toronto in that encounter and will also fly out to join the T&T team in Kingston.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell has encouraged Jamaican fans to come out in their numbers to witness the latest installment of the region's biggest rivalry from 7:00 pm on Wednesday.

"It's always a keen rivalry when the teams meet. They have a tendency to play some of their best games, it's similar to when Brazil play Argentina," Burrell said.

Jamaica's head coach Rene Simoes, an ex-T&T coach, will be without captain and Bolton Wanderers player Ricardo Gardner, who suffered a blow to the ribs in English Premier League action on Saturday.

The T&T players selected by Francisco Maturana and travelling from Trinidad today include goalkeeper Marvin Phillip (W Connection), Kern Cupid (W Connection), Keon Daniel (United Petrotrin), Aurtis Whitley (W Connection), Akeem Adams (T&T U20s), Jamal Gay (T&T U20s), Khaleem Hyland (San Juan Jabloteh) , Makan Hislop (United Petrotrin) Kerry Baptiste (Joe Public), Aklie Edwards (Defence Force) and Keyeno Thomas (Joe Public).

The overseas players selected are Sunderland's Carlos Edwards and Kenwyne Jones, Belgium-based goalie Jan Michael Williams, Collin Samuel (Toronto FC), Darryl Roberts (Sparta Rotterdam), US-based defender Osei Telesford and Randi Patterson (Charleston Battery).

Up to yesterday, the medical staff of the T&T team and Sunderland were in touch regarding the health and fitness state of Jones and Edwards, who were a day earlier termed unfit to travel by Sunderland manager Roy Keane.

In the current CFU rankings, the Jamaicans are two spots behind the Soca Warriors at No 3.

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