– Kayode Mc Kinnon
Former national midfield player Kayode McKinnon says he is disillusioned with the Golden Jaguars’ recent outing in Suriname where they competed in the 2009 Parbo Bier Cup tournament.
Guyana failed to win a game in the tournament, but McKinnon says that while there should be a feeling of dissatisfaction from the Guyanese public, one must understand that until the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) puts certain systems in place, only then can there be success.
McKinnon, who plays professionally in Trinidad and Tobago with Tobago Untied, says he was a prominent member of the Golden Jaguars team and was part of the unit that had placed Guyana at its highest in the world ranking at 90 in 2007.
But, after some dismal performances from then on and a few heart breaks, Guyana now sits at 128, a position that they haven’t moved from since March.
“The guys before, set the stage for the ones to come after. You know, we have set the bar even though things got a bit rough at the end we have put Guyana up to 90 before but to see that standard drop is a bit disappointing,” McKinnon said.
“But honestly, it’s going to be hard for the young players because the GFF is not thinking about development and preparation. You can’t use a knife to build a house, can you?
“I’ve learnt that to keep doing the same thing and get the same result and then keep on doing the same thing but expect a different result is to be insane,” the professional footballer added.
McKinnon said that unless there is proper preparation there will always be failure and this would only give the players a chance to make excuses.
“They say that when Guyana fails, the players always make an excuse but if the GFF puts the right systems in place and do the right things then the players will have no excuse to make and will certainly have to face the music themselves.”
Nicknamed ‘Magic Man’ Kayode played under former technical director Jamaal Shabazz with much success and this he says was because Shabazz had brought a real professional approach to Guyana’s football.
“What Jamal Shabazz did was that he changed the mindset and it was easy because we were professionals, but how do you change the mind of a man by keeping him in the same environment because in order for a man to move from one stage to the next, he must be able to let go of the principles and mindset of old,” McKinnon reasoned.
The player who is known for his charitable work in the Linden community from where he originates, said he was encouraging the youths to continue striving for higher heights although the road will be a bit long.