Dear Editor,
In our recent past the Golden Jaguars improved Guyana’s FIFA rankings from 130 to the nineties, and within a year’s span the same team slipped back into the 100s. This is important since no player may be contracted in Europe from countries below 75.
This level of inconsistency, and in some cases inferiority, is readily displayed at regional levels by both national and club teams. Alpha United expended huge sums on foreign players who were at best responsible for the best team in Guyana scraping through to the first round of the CFU championship.
In Trinidad and Tobago, however, the local ‘Manchester United’ proved yet again that they are no match for club teams from Trinidad and Tobago and (poverty-stricken) Haiti (Cuba, Barbados, St Vincent and Grenadines, Suri-name, Jamaica could clearly be included). As was expected since it follows a usual trend, they exited in the second round without winning a game.
Winning is an attitude that comes from a mindset resulting from years of conscious and meticulous planning and preparation of the technical, tactical, psychological, physical, mental and financial aspects of the sport. In short, winning is about confidence.
I have had the opportunity of being an assistant to two different head coaches in different countries under different conditions with two different national teams.
In 2005, the national U-15 squad under Lyndon ‘Joker’ France in Trinidad and Tobago became the first Guyanese team to place third in the CFU tournament, losing to Barbados in the semis and Trinidad and Tobago in finals. In 2009 under the tutelage of Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover, the senior national team won the Suriname Independence Tournament, overcoming both Suriname and French Guiana in Suriname. This historical accomplishment was so unexpected that no agency, organisation or sport enthusiast gave a public word of praise, recognition or encouragement.
This was and still is the result of a people who don’t know how to win, so even when a team succeeds there is no fanfare or fervour because it is rarely expected and almost never repeated.
From what I would describe as two winning outings, the common denominator between the two successful teams (2005, 2009) was the desire to win.
In 2005, the U-15 clearly ran out of steam in the knock-out stages from a gruelling group stage elimination. In 2009 the wins were less than authoritative, and were a struggle until the very end. But we’ll take a win any way it comes.
What was and still is clear to me is that although our footballers may claim equity in the technical aspects of the game, we are way behind organizationally, physically, and mentally (tactically at times).
The concentration of players is dissipated through distractions such as being irate about calls or lack thereof by officials; the players argue with each other over mistakes; rarely compliment each other; comment on opponents and even have exchanges with spectators.
Physical preparedness is also an issue of contention; our players generally do not show high work rates. This limitation becomes evident in the dying stages of games, where golden opportunities are squandered or given up to opponents.
These traits are inherent in our club culture, where coaches and even managers become involved in the distracting activities mentioned above. Coaches need to structure their training sessions to ask of players the requisite adaptations. Many coaches are guilty of commenting during the games, which shows a lack of confidence in the team to execute, and they can be heard at games vehemently, sometimes callously issuing instructions, comments, etc, which should have been adequately and appropriately covered at practice sessions.
During games, coaches should be assessing the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses for half-time changes in strategy, if required. Substitutes should be following the games with the intent of carrying out the duties assigned effectively and efficiently, if they are called upon.
The GFF-run super league is supposed to be a precursor to a semi-professional league similar to those in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, where many of our players go to ply their trade.
It is surprising that the Concacaf authorities have okayed and/or initiated this league. It is extremely poorly advertised, hence spectator attendance and interest is minimal, resulting in insufficient funds being collected at each game which is supposed to help participating teams reach financial viability. This obviously has failed.
The league’s second objective is to raise the standard of football. Up until this day it baffles the mind how this is hoped to be achieved. The popular premise of more football played equates to an improvement in the standard of the games played is not only false but misleading.
It is only through knowledge than any aspect of man’s existence moves vertically, and until the coaches play a more meaningful role, the same results can logically be expected.
In conclusion, until coaches become less focused on ‘self,’ something which would ease the rat-race and all its accompanying negatives, football in Guyana will remain the same or will degenerate, as is the belief of older football fans.
Yours faithfully,
Bilaal Eusi Nantambu
Coach
