Guyana’s Golden Jaguars will wing out today for Trinidad and Tobago on a mission to advance to the Digicel Caribbean Cup football finals in what is expected to be an intriguing Group F playoff in the twin island republic.
With an impressive run this year and boasting a 22-place jump in the FIFA rankings to 98, the Jaguars will fancy their chances of advancing against 2007 Digicel Cup champions Haiti, old nemesis Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors and the ever-improving St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Jaguars go into the series as the highest ranked team in the group followed by the host team at 106, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 126 and Haiti 128.
National Coach Wayne “Wiggy” Dover told Stabroek Sport that he was looking forward to this round of competition since it will be the team’s sternest test to date in international football.
“As coach I am proud to be contesting this round because it will be our sternest test in international football and we want to prove that Guyana is one of the leading teams in the region,” Dover said.
He expressed confidence that he has the players to deliver the results needed to see Guyana advance to the playoffs.
“Our chances are as good as any other team, it is on the day of competition that you have to prove yourself. The players are gelling well and we expect good cohesion while in Trinidad,” Dover disclosed.
Guyana moved from 120 to 98 in FIFA’s latest rankings and are now only behind Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in the Caribbean Football Union overtaking the Soca Warriors who slipped seven places to 106.
Reports out of the Caribbean this week stated that Guyana’s opponents were anxious to know who will be appearing in the Jaguars line up, while the Trinidadians have brought in reinforcements in an effort to advance to the playoffs.
The Jaguars and Soca Warriors played to a 1-1 draw in their recent friendly international at the National Stadium at Providence and both teams will be looking for victory this time round. Dover said that Guyana and Haiti play similar style football but he is not going to underestimate any of the opponents in the Group F playoff. The Jaguars line up boasts eight overseas-based players including Trinidad-based former national captain Charles “Lily” Pollard. Pollard joined the squad for the recent Suriname leg of the Digicel Cup Group C where the Golden Jaguars played unbeaten with victories over Suriname 2-0, St. Lucia 1-0 and the Netherlands Antilles 3-2.
The other overseas-based players are Trinidad-based midfielder Shawn “Bubbly” Beveney and defender Walter Moore, US-based central defender John Rodrigues and central midfielder Sean Cameron and from the United Kingdom Jake Newton (right back), Chris Bourne (left back) and Chris Nurse, who plays for the Puerto Rico Islanders as a central midfielder.
Experienced defender Howard Lowe will captain the 19-man squad that includes strikers Anthony “Awo” Abrams, Devon Millington and Dwight Peters as well as Eusi Phillips, Dwayne Jacobs, Warren Gilkes, Philbert Moffat, Dwayne Ali and goalkeepers Ronson Williams and Derrick Carter.
The Technical team reads: Dover – head coach, former national striker Collie Hercules (assistant coach), Gavin Brown (goalkeeper coach), Michelle Jackman physiotherapist and Rawle Adams (manager).
The Golden Jaguars will square off with Haiti, a former World Cup finalist in 1974, in their opening encounter on Tuesday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Port-of-Spain starting at 17:00 hours.
The Guyanese will be back in action again on Thursday against the Soca Warriors and will battle St. Vincent and the Grenadines next Saturday at the same venue.
