Former Trinidad and Tobago Women’s footballer, Dernelle Mascall has been appointed as assistant coach of the T&T Senior Women’s team.
Her appointment was confirmed last evening by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.
Mascall, who appointed Head Coach of the T&T Women’s Under 20 Team in March of this year, now joins the Senior team setup led by newly appointed head coach Richard Hood.
Hood replaced former T&T striker Kenwyne Jones who led the team on in interim basis in October and November 2021 before being given a nine month contract in December of that year.
Jones led the team to last year’s CONCACAF Women’s Championship which served as a qualifier for the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
However, T&T failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup and Jones’ contract was not renewed after it came to an end last August.
The TTFA invited applicants and although Jones was a frontrunner among the 150 applicants to retain the post, Hood was ultimately successful in getting the job.
Describing Mascall as one of the brightest young coaches in the country, Hood said she “brings a wealth of experience as an international player which would certainly assist the younger players mentally as it relates to the demands of international football”.
Her first mission with the team is qualification for the Concacaf 2024 Women’s Gold Cup which begins with a challenging encounter away to Mexico.
The 2024 W Gold Cup qualifying tournament will see 35 Concacaf Women’s Senior National Teams divided into three leagues.
T&T is in Group A of League A alongside Mexico and Puerto Rico.
After opening qualification away to Mexico on September 26th, T&T then hosts the Mexicans on October 27th before facing Puerto Rico away on December 1st and then returning home to host the Puerto Ricans 4 days later on December 5th.
The top finishers in each of the League A groups will qualify for the 2024 W Gold Cup Group Stage while the second-place finishers in each of the League A groups and the first-place finishers in each of the League B groups will advance to the 2024 W Gold Cup Prelims.