As captain and star of the history-making Trinidad and Tobago team that reached the 2006 World Cup finals, Dwight Yorke has the inside track on how a tiny football region can punch above its weight.
The Caribbean nation, which has a population of around 1.3 million, is No 100 in the Fifa world rankings.
Hong Kong climbed two places to No 153 in the most recent list, but with a population of more than 7 million has got nowhere near a World Cup. The city team’s Asian Cup finals appearance last year ended a 55-year wait to compete in a major tournament.
Yorke was appointed head coach of his national team last November, and said maximising a country’s football potential was grounded in “investment in a youth policy”.
“You want the senior team performing well, because children watch and want to emulate it going forwards,” he said. “But you need good coaches from very early.
“A lot of people try coaching youngsters, but they’re not fully qualified, which is a stumbling block. If your system is set up for children to grow and improve, you reap the benefit.”
