Minister of Sport, Brent Sancho paid a visit to the national Under 17s final training session at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Saturday to provide some motivation ahead of the teams' departure for Panama on Sunday.
Coach Shawn Cooper led the team is in its final preparations for the forthcoming CONCACAF final round of World Cup qualification in Honduras later this month.
"Shawn and the TTFA have done an excellent job of preparing this team," said Sancho. "Funding is in place for the tournament in Honduras, so everybody can focus on the football."
The Under 17 team is mainly comprised of players from TT Pro League clubs and includes UK-based Morgan Bruce and Joshua Burnett, as well as Chaz Burnett, Noah Powder and Jerren Nixon who play their football in the USA. "It's a good mix of local homegrown lads with a sprinkling of overseas experience," said Sancho.
"These are our future professionals who we hope will progress through the developmental phases to represent T&T on the senior men's team at the 2022 World Cup Finals".
Sancho gave the players his best wishes and told them that their country will be proud when they take the field on 27 February versus Guatemala.
T&T will also have to face USA, Jamaica, Cuba and the host nation to qualify as one of four teams to represent Concacaf at the FIFA Under 17 World Cup in Chile later this year.
The former T&T World Cup defender told the boys, "This is where your journey really starts. I know the pride you will feel when you step onto the field in the red, white and black.
"Let that pride carry you on to greater achievements, not just in football, but in your personal life."