Guyana’s Golden Jaguars will square off with St. Vincent and the Grenadines Vincy Heat in a friendly international today at Blairmont ground starting at 15:00h as both countries step up preparations for their 2010 World Cup campaign.
The Guyanese, who lost 2-0 to the Vincentian side in the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals will be seeking revenge, but the visiting side’s head coach Roger Gurley told Stabroek Sport during a training session at the National Park that his team was here for football. “Both teams are in the preparation stage of the World Cup and we will be making the best of the match,” Gurley added.
He said the squad was a fairly young one with the average age being 23 years.
The 18-man squad is captained by experienced defender Wesley Charles who plays professionally in Ireland.
The Guyana squad will be captained by the efficient defender Charles `Lily’ Pollard who plays professional football in Trinidad and Tobago.
Also expected to be included in the local line up are Walter Moore, Howard Lowe, Troy Prescod, Sean Bishop, Kanata Mannings, Collie Hercules, Gregory Richardson, Kayode McKinnon, Anthony Abrams, Cary Harris and Nigel Codrington.
Technical Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Jamal Shabbazz said the Golden Jaguars were looking forward to the game on home soil at the start of a long road for the local players over the next few months which will feature a return match against the St. Vincent side in Kingstown later this month.
They are also expected to travel to Trinidad and Tobago for a camp where they will meet Grenada before travell -ing to Antigua to face their Antiguan counterparts.
Manager of the Vincy Heat, Roxell John, said both strikers that scored against Guyana, Shandell Samuel and Sean Glynn were in the squad for today’s showdown.
He said most of the players on the squad were from the Under-23 team that participated in the CONCACAF Under-23 tournament in September last year.
He disclosed that several members of the team are playing professionally in such countries as Venezuela, Barbados, Tortola, Trinidad/Tobago and Barbados.
The Vincentians are ranked 101 while Guyana is at 128 in FIFA’s current ranking.
The local squad was expected to travel to Berbice last evening to join the technical staff Shabbazz, head coach Wayne Dover and Kavin Pearce who were due to travel earlier in the day to conduct a coaching clinic for coaches and players in the Ancient County.
The other members of the local technical staff are Frank Parris and Rawle Adams (managers) and Lindley Longhorn (physical trainer and medic).
The full St. Vincent and the Grenadines touring party are players – Windslow Mc Dowall, Dwaine Sandy, Wesley Charles, Troy Jeffers, Keith James, Jason Hope, Kevin Abraham, Richard Hayde, Theon Gordon, Oscar Nero, Millon Prescott, Randolph Williams, Emerald George, Sean Glynn, Cornelius Stewart, Amon Bascombe and Damal Francis, Shandell Samuel.
OFFICIALS: President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Association Joseph Delves – Delegation Head, Roxell John – Manager, Dr. Christian Anderson, Physiotherapist, Roger Gurley – Head Coach, Earl Paynter – Assistant Coach and Kevin Richardson – Goalkeeping Coach.