Preparations have started for Guyana’s participation in the Under-20 World Cup football qualifying competition against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and host Grenada, next month.
Trials were held last weekend in the United States for players who are keen on being selected on the Guyana Junior squad for the World Cup qualification tournament.
The trials, organized by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the World Cup Committee, took place in Florida and attracted 10 players from the US and Canada.
Twenty-three Georgetown-based players have also been short-listed and began training Tuesday at the Carifesta Sports Complex ground in preparation not only for the World Cup qualification but for the Inter Guiana Games series against Suriname and French Guiana billed for April 30 to May 5 in Paramaribo, as well.
The squad includes promising striker Andrew Murray Jr., who recently attended a one-week training clinic at Sunderland Football Academy in England sponsored by regional telecommunication company Digicel.
Coaches Kavin Pearce and Sampson Gilbert are in charge of the squad which will also include players from East Coast, East Bank and West Demerara.
Meanwhile, the Upper Demerara Football Association has scheduled a game between the Pepsi Cup U-17 Inter Association finalists and an Upper Demerara U20 selection on Tuesday at the MSC Ground.
The game was observed by GFF’s Technical Director, Jamaal Shabbazz, senior head coach, Wayne Dover and competitions coordinator of the GFF, Lawrence Griffith.
On Saturday players from Berbice, Linden, Bartica, East Coast, East Bank and West Demerara will join the selected Georgetown players for a week-end training session.
The out of town players will be encamped at the National Gymnasium.
The Georgetown players who have been called up are: Andrew Murray Jnr., Frank Dover, Anthony Belfield (Alpha United) Richie Richards, Ron Liverpool and Telson Bowen (Sunburst Camptown), Odel Williams, Trevon Lythcott, Junior Witherspoon, Franklyn Beresford (Fruta Conquerors), Chris Comacho, Deshawm Thom, Michael James, Elvin Foo, Dwayne Mc Kinnon (Santos), Lumumba Hinds-Beacon, Cloyde Bascom-Uprising Manasseh Primo, Bevon Moseley, Colin Nelson – Western Tigers, Odel Nelson- Hubert Pedro, Paul Bobb.
