PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Stephen Hart has been sacked as head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national side, paying the ultimate price for the team’s dismal start to the final round of CONCACAF 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

In a statement late Thursday, the T&T Football Association (TTFA) said it had reached an agreement with the 56-year-old Hart “to part ways with immediate effect”.

“This follows a meeting held this afternoon between Mr Hart and members of the TTFA Board of Directors,” the statement said.

“President David John-Williams, on behalf of the TTFA, thanks Mr Hart for his services over the past three years and wishes him every success in his future endeavours.

“M John-Williams confirms that the announcement of a new head coach for the TTFA senior national Men’s Team will be made in the shortest possible time.”

Hart’s sacking came amidst rampant speculation over his three and a half-year tenure, especially following on from T and T’s back-to-back losses in the opening games of the CONCACAF final-round qualifying tournament recently.

They were beaten 2-0 by Costa Rica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium here a fortnight ago, before crashing to a 3-1 defeat to Honduras at the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula on November 15.

The two defeats left T and T without a point and one from bottom of the six-team group, only ahead of the also winless United States on goal difference.

Ironically, T and T lost just once in the fourth round as they finished second to United States in Group C, to easily qualify for the final round.

Hart, who was born in Trinidad but resides in Canada, took over the reins of the national side back in 2013, and in his first major assignment led them to the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup that same year.

The following year, Hart oversaw T and T’s Caribbean Cup campaign as they reached the final before losing to Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz on penalties.

Last year, Hart again steered T and T into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, after playing imperiously to dominate their group and finish top.

However, T&T then shockingly failed to qualify for next year’s Caribbean Cup finals when they finished second in group four of the third round, after beating the Dominican Republic but losing to Martinique.

With that result, they also missed out on an automatic qualification for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Hart left his job as head coach of the Canada national team in similar circumstances four years ago, after the side failed to reach the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, following a heavy 8-1 defeat to Honduras.

He led Canada to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals in 2007 and to the quarter-finals two years later.