The Digicel Caribbean Cup football finals will kick off today with hosts Trinidad and Tobago taking on Barbados from 6pm at the Haseley Crawford Stadium.

The Trinidadians, eight times Caribbean champions and who qualified for the 2006 World Cup soccer finals in Germany will start as favourites even though they will be without most of their World Cup stars.

“We are now a World Cup squad,” Trinidad coach Wim Rijsbergen, told the Trinidad Express, adding “So everyone will be coming to beat Trinidad and Tobago. So the guys, they must be prepared to play tough opponents.”

Martinique and Haiti will compete in the second match of the double header from 8pm.

Guyana’s national football squad will oppose St Vincent and the Grenadines on Sunday in a Group B fixture. St Vincent and the Grenadines are ranked 85 while Guyana is ranked 100 in the FIFA Coca Cola ranking list.

The team is beginning to see the benefits of the intense physical training sessions being conducted by Brazilian trainer Americo Felopa, said Technical Director, Trinidad-ian Jamal Shabazz.

Speaking to Stabroek Sport by telephone yesterday Shabazz said