On April 17, midfielder Liana Hinds left it all on the pitch for Trinidad and Tobago's women's football team in their Concacaf W Qualifier with El Salvador at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

Feisty, energetic and full of heart, Hinds played 85 minutes before she was replaced with forward Gabrielle Williams, as TT desperately tried to overturn a two-goal deficit. TT didn't register a goal, and were thus knocked out of the Concacaf W Qualifiers as their hopes of making the Fifa 2027 Women's World Cup came to a crashing halt.

As those lofty dreams faded away, a pair of stalwarts said their goodbyes to the women's game, with captain Kennya "Yaya" Cordner, 37, and Hinds, 31, both calling time on their international careers. Cordner made her announcement in the immediate aftermath of the loss, while Hinds made hers yesterday and called on the TT Football Association (TTFA) to do more for the women's game.

Hinds reminisced on the good memories, which included her time with TT's under-17 team at the Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup in 2010. That tournament was hosted right here in TT, with Hinds scoring in TT's first two matches, including a late winner in the opener against Chile. With her service to TT spanning well over a decade, she's better placed than most to speak on women's football matters.

"The reality is, the women's programme has long been undervalued, under-prepared. under-supported, and too often treated as an afterthought. That has to change," Hinds said, via an Instagram post. "TTFA, do better. Do right by your women's teams. The talent is there. The passion is there. Now, do your part."

Last year, more than once, midfielder Asha James called out the TTFA for its lack of vision and sustained efforts towards the women's team, and said she felt as though the team didn't even exist to the powers that be. James returned to the fray for the El Salvador qualifier, having initially signalled her intent to step away from the team due to issues with team management.

With the senior women's team dormant for over a year after the expiration of former coach Richard Hood's contract in mid-2024, the women had far from an ideal transition under new leadership as Angus Eve lasted all of three weeks in the post after his appointment in September 2025.

Under the guidance of new coach Damian Briggs and assistant Densill Theobald, the team won fans over with an attractive brand and gave themselves a chance of progressing to the Concacaf W Championship after a 5-0 win away to Barbados and a gutsy 2-2 draw away to Honduras last month.

Placed in a must-win situation against El Salvador on April 17, though, TT brought the heart but ultimately weren't clinical enough as a Brenda Ceren double secured the visitors' first trip to the Concacaf W Championship.

Hinds' love for country and the sport saw her answering the call every time, but now she said her race is well and truly run.