Several national discards have been included in the Golden Jaguars squad preparing for the 2008 Digicel Caribbean Football Championship even as the coaching staff grapples with finding appropriate venues for the squad to train.
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) short-listed a squad including former national midfielders Dirk Archer, Elroy Parks and Shad Fernandes and defender Neville Stanton that started training last weekend.
These players had represented Guyana in the past but were overlooked for Guyana’s ill-fated 2010 World Cup preliminary campaign.
Also named are Anthony “Awo” Abrams, Shawn Bishop, Dwight Peters and Troy Prescod who were featured in the Golden Jaguars World Cup campaign side, while arrangements will be made to have the overseas-based players included close to Guyana’s hosting of Group ‘B’ of the Digicel sponsored tournament from August 4-11 that will feature neighbouring Suriname and another team to be named shortly by the tournament organisers.
Head coach Wayne “Wiggy” Dover told Stabroek Sport yesterday that the training programme started last Saturday with a physical evaluation of the players known as the “Beep Test” conducted at Camp Ayanganna and there was a tactical session Sunday at the National Park.
The squad was engaged in a practice match against Sunburst Camptown yesterday at Camptown ground, but Dover noted that due to the current inclement weather the squad does not have a fixed training venue.
“We don’t have a fixed ground to train but we are hoping for an improvement in the weather so that we will be able to step up our training programme,” he added.
According to Dover, six players from Berbice were included in the squad but so far only one has participated in the sessions.
He said efforts are being made to contact those players to find out what has prevented them from attending the sessions because the squad will be trimmed soon.
The out of town players are currently encamped at the Palace De Leon Hotel in Kitty.
Asked if the squad will be involved in any international friendly before the Group series, Dover said that a team from Central America will be visiting Trinidad and Tobago at the end of the month and attempts are being made for the side to travel to Guyana for a warm up match.
Guyana had an impressive run in the second edition of the Digicel Cup that ended last year finishing top of Group A in Stage One, then top of Group H in Stage Two which was played at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.
The Jaguars then went on to the finals in Trinidad and Tobago and finished third in the Bobby Sookram Group, missing out on a semi-final berth on goal difference alone.
Following their showing in the Digicel Cup, the Golden Jaguars secured a second round bye in the CONCACAF World Cup preliminary competition but suffered 1-0 and 3-1 defeats at the hand of nemesis Suriname in their home and away tie recently.
The players currently training with the local squad are: (goalkeepers) Ronston Williams, Oswald Cornett, Ritchie Richardson, Alwin McDonald (defenders) Neville Stanton, Kelvin McKenzie, Orlando Gilgeous, Sheik Kamal, Shevane Seaforth, R. Sandiford, Devon Dummett, Abassi McPherson, Devon Harris, (midfield) Troy Prescod, Dirk Archer, Shawn Bishop, Emerick Williams, Travis Grant, Elroy Parks, Dexter Mollyneux, Warren Gilkes, G. Edmonds, Pierre Joseph, Shad Fernandes, Romain Haynes, (strikers) Andrew Murray Jr., Anthony Abrams, Dwight Peters, Devon Millington, Edison Gomes, Adrian Adams and Stellon David.
Trinidadian Jamaal Shabazz is the technical director.
