Nakhid Political Ambition

(Title from the Trinidad Express report by Lasana Liburd. It simply could not be improved upon)

David Nakhid is a colourful character. He has been captain of the T&T national senior time, coach and scout for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, to say nothing of his extensive international club experience – in 2005 Nakhid was inducted into the American University Hall of Fame. He’s also called Jack Warner, the most powerful man in CONCACAF, ’stupid’ and ‘dishonest.’

Tit for tat really – Warner called him a traitor and a spy for the Bahrainis after it was revealed in the local press that Nakhid had been offered a job to coaching the Bahrain under-2o team, and that he’d sent tapes of the Warriors to the Bahrainis. This story broke just before the Warriors trounced Bahrain on November 16th last year to qualify for the World Cup. The latest development is that Nakhid still doesn’t have a job with Bahrain and is presently suing Mr. Warner for slander.

Right. Well, he clearly already has the right profile to get into Trinidadian politics thing – prior record of achievement tainted by scandal and allegations of corruption, tendency to make inflammatory statements to the media, history of crossing swords with administration and prior problems with authority…perfect.

Nakhid is convinced of his credentials, telling the Express that he would “relish a political mandate,” and saying, “I think what people know about me and my strength is that I am a man of integrity who cannot be bought or sold.” Nakhid la mbasted both the ruling People’s National Movement and the opposition United National Congress (of which Jack Warner is Deputy Political Leader), saying that the politicians had “failed the country.”