Trinidad and Tobago celebrates historic World Cup feat

AP

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Trinidad (AP) – Trinidadians clad in their national colors – red, white and black – took over the streets of the capital Port–of–Spain, jumping, screaming, and crying over qualifying for their first World Cup on Wednesday.

Trinidad and Tobagos Ian Cox, left, and Russell Latapy, center, and Chris Birchall celebrate at Bahrain National Stadium in Isa Town, Bahrain, Wednesday at the end of the World Cup 2nd leg qualifying playoff soccer match. Trinidad and Tobago won the match 1–0 to win 2–1 on aggregate. Photo: AP

Trinidad and Tobago beat host Bahrain 1–0 in Manama to win the two–leg playoff 2–1 on aggregate.

“I am overwhelmed. This is history – Trinidad and Tobago, we going to Germany, Oh God!” said David Frederick, a 37–year–old construction worker.

Thousands of people left work and school after the victory – many chanted “Germany, Germany, Germany!” and celebrated on nearly every corner in the capital, waving their country’s flag, doing acrobatics and dousing themselves with beer.

Some merrymakers gathered in pubs, while motorists punctuated the carnival–like atmosphere by blowing their horns.

“This is madness. I am starting my German lessons now,” said Joel Williams, an accountant who was draped in a Trinidadian flag and celebrating on a street corner with a few colleagues.

Trinidad’s government declared a national holiday for Thursday in honor of the victory.

The twin–island nation of 1.3 million is only the second country in the English–speaking Caribbean to qualify in the tournament’s history, after Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in 1998. Haiti, a former French colony, qualified in 1974.

“It was a significant achievement that a small region such as ours can in the last 30 years achieve the tremendous feat of sending three teams to the World Cup,” said Edwin Carrington, secretary general of the 15–member Caribbean Community.

Trinidad’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning interrupted parliamentary deliberation to congratulate the Soca Warriors. He promised a “proper” welcome to the 21–man squad on their return home on Thursday.

Nutor Blair, 30, a Guyanese man celebrating the victory outside of a pub and holding a Trinidad flag, said: “I am Guyanese but a win for Trinidad is a win for the Caribbean.”