As kickoff approaches for Saint Lucia’s opening Concacaf Nations League fixture against Barbados at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Friday night, newly appointed men’s national team head coach Rajesh Latchoo has expressed excitement for the matchup and praise for his squad, particularly the leadership shown by the team’s veteran core.
Speaking with St Lucia Times on Thursday, Latchoo noted that despite only holding three official training sessions with the squad ahead of the game, the intense collaboration between players and coaching staff has made the transition feel far smoother than the short timeline suggests. “It feels like I’ve already been here for a month, not just a few days of training,” he explained. “That connection comes from all the open conversations we’ve had, the questions players have asked, the feedback they’ve shared, and the ideas they’ve brought forward. At the end of the day, players are the ones who own the game on the pitch.”
Under Latchoo’s new framework, senior players are empowered to make in-match decisions, with the coaching staff focusing on aligning the entire squad around a shared strategy rather than dictating every move. The coach emphasized that the veteran experience of long-tenured squad members is the team’s greatest asset, one that should never be underestimated.
Latchoo rejected the idea of forcing a rigid pre-determined playing style, instead stating that his game plan will always center on leveraging the existing strengths of his roster. He argued that the current squad is well-balanced across every position, with special depth in attacking play.
“I’ve been incredibly impressed by the squad’s finishing ability — we have legitimate goalscorers across the front line, and that’s a strength we’re going to play to,” Latchoo said. He added that the defensive line and goalkeeper unit boast strong veteran leadership, the wide positions are filled with athletic, dynamic players, and the midfield and attacking slots mix seasoned experience with promising young talent. “Even our newer young players know exactly what to do when they get a chance in front of goal,” he noted.
The current squad includes the top two marksmen from the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League: Yanic Noel and Garvin Reggie, with Reggie earning his first ever call-up to the senior national side. The roster also features attacking standout Caniggia Elva, who notched a brace against Barbados in the teams’ previous encounter.
Leading the squad out on Friday will be returning captain Terell Thomas, a 30-year-old central defender who most recently plied his trade with England’s Carlisle United. Thomas has given a positive assessment of the new coaching staff’s early work, saying he has been impressed by Latchoo’s approach in his short tenure.
“What stands out immediately is how observant he is, and how clearly he communicates what he sees and how we can improve in different game situations,” Thomas explained. “He’s kept everything very simple, which is exactly what you need when you have such a short window to prepare. If you try to overload players with too much new information and complex philosophies right away, it just doesn’t work.”
Thomas added that Latchoo’s trust in the squad has had a unifying effect: “He told us straight out, ‘Every single one of you here is a good player — you know how to play this game.’ He’s given us the confidence to make the right calls on the pitch, and that simplicity has really helped the group gel quickly.”
A key rule change from FIFA has also reshaped this international match window, expanding it from one week to two weeks to allow four Concacaf Nations League fixtures to be completed within a single break. Thomas welcomed the adjustment, noting that the extra time allows for far more tactical continuity, even if it brings new physical demands.
“Having more time together on the training pitch means we can work through kinks and get our game plan locked in far better than we could in a shorter window,” he said. “That said, four games in 14 days puts a lot of strain on players’ bodies, so recovery is going to be absolutely critical this window. There are both upsides and challenges to the new format.”
Thomas also pointed out that the extended break is particularly beneficial for the new coaching regime, giving Latchoo more time to implement his vision and build rapport with the squad. After Friday’s opener against Barbados and a second home fixture on Monday, the side will travel to Barbados to face Guadeloupe in two further matches next week.
For his part, Latchoo says he is just glad to have the chance to compete at this level in the Caribbean. “This is what football is all about,” he said. “I’m so happy that we get to compete against other teams in the region, push each other, and all get better as a result.”