Many soccer fans would like to know the real reasons why the Guyana national football team – the Golden Jaguars- as the team is called – failed to get past nemesis Suriname earlier this year and advance to the next round of the FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament.
Stabroek Sports was able to get its hands on the report of Trinidadian Jamaal Shabazz who served as Head Coach of the failed campaign.
We believe that the report is a damning indictment against the Colin Klass administration, but then again, what else is new?
Stabroek Sports will carry the report in its entirety simply because we believe the public has a right to know the truth about the way football is governed and so eradicate those who believe that what has been published before was contrived with the sole aim of removing the longstanding president of the GFF Klass, from office.
In the report Shabazz lays bare in his own unique style, all the details concerning the preparation of the team and its actual performance.
Following is the report. You the reader can judge for yourself.
GUYANA FOOTBALL FEDERATION
REPORT FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 2008
Prepared by Jamaal Shabazz- Humble servant
This is not an attempt to evaluate why we did not advance in this FIFA World Cup tournament but a report of the facts surrounding the preparation and participation in the said tournament.
It is from this report that a critical analysis should be made and the roles played by the players, technical staff and the GFF examined and evaluated.
The top technicians in FIFA have taught us that there is a tendency on our part to believe that success and achievement is solely dependent on the coach and the performance of the players. This is much too simplistic. The international game is the finished product of the relationship, actions or lack of it and interactions of the players (team), those who train them (staff) and those who are in charge of them (the GFF).
So throughout this report such a relationship will be constantly referred to in a factual manner. In the end as Head Coach of the Guyana national team, I take and accept responsibility for the performances of the team on the field.
Everyone else must accept responsibility for their part because the football of the field is dependent on the football office and its officials.
Long Term Preparations or was It?
The completion of our participation in the 2005/2006 Digicel Cup tournament set the platform for Guyana to be a force in the Caribbean region for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. However, the reality is that we did not learn and implement the steps that gave us success in 2005/2006. Several documents were sent to the GFF with plans for international friendly matches but for reason after reason not one single match materialized.
In September 2007 when I saw the year would pass and no warm up matches, I arranged for the T&T based (Guyana) players to play a match against a Tobago representative team. This initiative was supported by the GFF and the game came off which we won comfortably and gave us a chance to finally get together again.
So for the entire 2007, we had one warm up match. Another document was sent in November 2007 outlining an approach for 2008 which entailed:-
– having a camp in Brazil for the latter part of January/February period
– followed by some friendly internationals in March.
– The documents also patterned from the Trinidad & Tobago programme to benefit from the break in the T&T Pro League which, in essence, would have given us three weeks to prepare for the actual World Cup Qualifiers against Suriname.
This was not adopted instead the staff submitted to the alternate arrangement of the Federation which enabled us two matches against St. Vincent (home & away), Grenada (home), Cuba (home & away).
We won and drew with St. Vincent, lost to Grenada and won and drew with Cuba.
During the period of these preparations we had a chance to try out a couple of players from outside of Guyana of which the following were thought useful to the program.
Sean Cameron – Miami FC, USA, Howard and Jake Newton – England, Chris Bourne – England.
Since March, we identified to the GFF that these players were useful and advised that steps should be taken to ensure they had the relevant documents to participate in the qualifiers.
The training in Guyana were hampered by no proper venues to train as we faced the perennial problem of being turned away and even kicked off of grounds when rain as much as set up.
In one case I attempted to defy the Police just to ensure we got to train and was eventually evicted.
Coming out of these matches the following suggestions were made to the GFF.
– A permanent venue should be secured for national team training.
Mr. Neil Kumar had made available (the) Better Hope ground and the GFF was to pay to maintain it.
– A better arrangement be made regarding dealing with remuneration for players/staff after games.
– Meetings be held with the players/staff and all financial arrangements worked out prior to future camps/competitions.
– Better arrangements be made to properly outfit the team for training and camps.
– Issues of food, clothes and shelter for the team need earlier focus by the GFF.
– Arrangements be made to secure passports for the foreign players.
SHORT TERM
PREPARATIONS
The short term preparations got underway from May 26 in Trinidad with a squad of 26 players and seven technical staff. I had requested from the GFF the use of a trainer from Brazil to ensure the proper physical preparation of the team but we had to abandon the idea in the end because the GFF could not afford it.
I also requested that the other members of the Technical Staff be sent two days earlier so that we can go through some orientation of the tasks ahead.
This was challenged and did not materialize. I requested that the staff be given the uniforms and equipment three (3) days before travel so that we can ensure everything was in place in a professional way.
Even this arrangement was left for the very last moment and hurried arrangements had to be made with Mr. Hudson to get proper gear since those at the office was found to have served its time.
We knew of this camp in November 2007 and were reminded again in March and reminded on so many occasions the GFF President took offence to the tone of my emails regarding same.
The manager was given inadequate finance for the camp but was given an assurance that Mr. Hudson would arrive with monies in a three days.
Mr. Hudson complained that he was not in possession of any written contract between the GFF and the Barbados FA or a Promoter in Barbados which was held the financial fate of our World Cup campaign.
In the end myself and the staff endured the most pressured situation controlling the camp and even the players had moments of extreme pressure.
FOOD, CLOTHES
AND SHELTER
An arrangement of such importance as food was left to work itself out as the Chef was told that money would come to Trinidad with the staff. The staff was told that the Chef would use his money to purchase groceries. From the start there was a food shortage and even though personal monies were used and eventually we got some money from the GFF President we ran out of food on three occasions. Apart from my personal monies (despite not being paid by the GFF) the team was rescued by purchasing food from a restaurant on credit (at a phenomenal cost) and some items were received by generous donors.
Senior players expressed their dissatisfaction of having to wear uniforms as a Guyana National team with the English FA logo. Captain Pollard felt that the least the GFF could do was to put a GFF logo over or alongside the English FA’s logo.
The team was housed at the Erosa’s Guest House owned by e-Link Tours. My club’s longstanding relationship with the owner enabled us to be settled in with a refundable down payment from myself. However, after assuring the owner that Mr. Hudson would arrive with the payments when this did not materialise he became anxious.
Then the uncertainty of going to Barbados meant he had to turn away bookings (cash) in return for a credit arrangement which the staff could give him no definite date of payment.
Eventually we were given an ultimatum to pay or be evicted. Mr. Klass intervened and arrangements were made to pay some of the money and the rest was paid from monies received from Mr. Warner.
UNCERTAINTIES
The camp was riddled with uncertainties mainly:-
– regarding a trip to Barbados
– payment for per diems to players/staff/
– arrangements with the Chef
– via what route we would travel to Suriname
– whether the Newton brothers would get their passport documents in time to play
Shortage of food and lack of personal finance to help the situation did not help the morale of the team and the atmosphere in the camp. The situation was compounded by the constant calling by a club owner in Georgetown who sought to stir up the players to communicate with the Guyana media and rebel against the GFF.
Amidst all this the staff sat the players down and told them we must rise above this and focus on the job at hand.
TRAINING SESSIONS
The team trained twice a day except on Sundays which was a day for recovery and relaxation. The sessions were 90 minutes duration and focused on:-
– Fitness
– Technical tactical patterns in attack and defence
The effort at the training sessions was very good but at times the intensity was affected by the fact that the players went home on three occasions to no meals and had to await emergency food from a restaurant.
Sessions were held at three venues proper attention being paid to the surfaces to ensure quality at the training.
FIRST GAME AGAINST SURINAME
Our approach going into the first game against Suriname was to defend in position two and attack on the counter using the speed of our strikers and attacking midfield on the sides.
The fiasco surrounding the Newton passport situation is better explained by Mr. Hudson but up to the morning of the game the team talk both Messrs Adams and Hudson were badgering me to defray the team talk to wait on word from Mr. Klass who would talk to the Match Commissioner. Eventually moments before we left the hotel for the game we had the team talk and included Dwain Jacobs in the squad for Howard Newton at left midfield.
GAME SUMMARY
We started the game with four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers.
Collie Hercules was used as a target to draw the defence to create spaces for the midfielders Jacobs and Beveney and striker Richardson to exploit.
We employed two holding midfielders in Quacy Johnson and Kayode McKinnon in front of the previously proven and tested back four of Pollard, Lowe, Carey Harris and Walter Moore. Suriname settled faster on a ground that had higher grass and a muddy under field; this served to neutralize our speedy players and affected our passing game. In both halves when we got behind the defence we chose to carry the ball too much rather than look for the shot at goal. Suriname gained more penetration especially down the left flank since Dwain Jacobs did not provide the kind of cohesive defensive support to the wing back as was the case on the right side.
After we went down by one goal early in the second half we switched to three strikers introducing Anthony Abrams and Nigel Codrington into the game. Despite making a lot of penetrations we were not able to get the elusive goal.
I was not too disappointed because I felt that on a better surface and without the problems, distractions and uncertainties that affected the camp in Trinidad, we would be able to over turn the score line in Guyana.
SECOND GAME
VERSUS SURINAME
The team travelled to Guyana the day after the game (Sunday) and re-entered camp Tuesday afternoon. Immediately sessions were interrupted having to use makeshift arrangements to get in what is really an excuse for training not a real training session. With Tuesday and Wednesday wasted, on Thursday we had the honour of training twice at the beautiful Providence stadium, then once on Friday and once on Saturday.
The team was able to get in the some very good tactical work during the four sessions and formulated a risky but ultra offensive approach for the return game.
The 4-4-2 system was abandoned for the ultra offensive 4-2-1-3. In essence we eliminated the need for flank midfield players and instead used Gregory Richardson as a wing/striker on one side, Anthony Abrams as the other wing/forward and Nigel Codrington as a third striker. Just behind them Shawn Bishop was used to exploit his passing ability with Kayode Mckinnon and Shawn Beveney employed as the holding midfielders in front of the normal back four. The plan was to apply pressure in position one and try to force the opponents to play the ball long.
The passport situation for the Newton brothers was rectified and the plan was to introduce Hercules and Newton in the second half and revert to our conventional 4-4-2 once we secured a lead, which we felt was very reachable given our team on the pitch.
SUMMARY
The Surinamese defended deep and played off the counter and despite us having good ball possession the old bug bear of not shooting would haunt us during the first half. In the meantime giving up a foul gave Suriname a free kick just outside our box which resulted in the first goal. Sloppy defending gave up the second goal but all in all our strikers mainly Abrams and Richardson did not stick to the game plan to press Suriname outside of the box and seemed at times overawed by the crowd presence.
During the interval we addressed the areas of pressing and shooting and the efforts and attitude improved in the second half.
Midway in the second half we introduced Dwight Peters, Collie Hercules and Howard Newton which further pinned Suriname back into their half creating some anxious moments in front of goal. However poor finishing and good goalkeeping by the Suriname keeper prevented us from adding to the lone goal scored by Nigel Codrington late in the second half.
In the end credit to Suriname we lost to a better organized and more settled team on the day.
ASSISTANCE SOUGHT ANDRENDERED
Given the extra duties I had to peform of finding funding to keep the camp going , I called Mr. Colin Baker and Ms. Sheridan David to assist financially in the following areas:-
– To secure proper training venues
– To get much needed medical supplies
– To pay the services of a goalkeeper coach
They responded by sending me US$400 for the medical supplies, US$235 to pay the Goalkeeper Coach and US$600 to pay for the training venues. They have received the relevant bills and receipts to attest to same as promised to them when their assistance was sought. And as they indicated to me the GFF can follow them up to verify same.
I also sought the help of Mr. Jack Warner the email of which I will attach to this document. Mr. Warner forwarded the sum of thirty one thousand five hundred dollars which was an advance from TV rights money due to the GFF from the said World Cup Qualifiers. I signed a document to that effect and Mr. Warner said that he would get a copy on to the GFF.
Mr. Warner also donated 22 pairs of football boots to the players the distribution of which was witnessed by Mr. Hubert Johnson on behalf of Mr. Warner.
Kevin Sunich ( a Guyanese Journalist living in Trinidad) on my request donated two hundred TT dollars to assist with food one evening when there was no dinner in place for the team.
I was able to clear some equipment that was donated by Mr. Rodridgues from the USA. The equipment was cleared the same day we traveled to Suriname so all I was able to use was a portable tactical board, which will be returned to the GFF shortly. Subsequently I saw the equipment contained new and used footballs, hurdles, bibs etc. I have since turned over the equipment to Mr. Hudson. I opened the box in the presence of Mr. Dover who can verify same.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion I would like to submit that the last two months demanded of me a tremendous physical and economic sacrifice which has taken a toll on myself and my families. I feel cheated by what I saw a nonchalant approach by the GFF towards planning, administering and financing of this World Cup Project. If it is the will of the GFF and its EXCO I will depart but not in shame. I will hold my head up high and with a clear conscience knowing that I sincerely in the sight of God Almighty gave my all to a country and a people that I have grown to love. A Federation I battle with but still admire and players, staff and fans that I absolutely adore. Notwithstanding all the challenges and our differences I thank the GFF for the opportunity granted to serve a people and a federation who will succeed in the end.
Jamaal Shabazz
Humble Servant