Following the announcement of Guyana’s return to the international circuit with the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Golden Jaguars will also commence their second campaign in League-B of the CONCACAF Nations League in June 2022 during the 2022/2023 cycle.
This was disclosed by regional confederation Concacaf via a press release.
According to the correspondence, the regional body has established that the second edition of the competition will commence in 2022, with the grand finale set for March 2023.
“Concacaf can now confirm that the second edition of this exciting competition, the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League, will begin in June 2022 and conclude with the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League Finals in March 2023,” the release stated.
In the inaugural edition of the event, the 2019/2020 season, Guyana finished second in group-C of the League-B section. The Golden Jaguars ended with a record of three wins, two losses and a draw to conclude their campaign on 10 points, six points behind group winner and Caribbean powerhouse Jamaica.
“The Concacaf Nations League is a key part of the confederation’s strategy to provide more competitive football opportunities for national teams across the region,” the release stated.
The inaugural group stage included all 41 Concacaf men’s national teams in the FIFA match windows of September, October and November 2019 with great competition across the region. The League A group winners: Mexico, USA, Honduras and Costa Rica qualified for the first Concacaf Nations League Finals, originally scheduled for June 2020 but suspended due to the public health situation. The 2019/20 Concacaf Nations League Finals will now take place in the FIFA match window of March 2021, at a venue in the United States to be determined.
“As previously announced, the semifinal matchups are Costa Rica vs Mexico and USA vs Honduras as determined by their performances on the field (points gained) during the group stage. A Concacaf Nations League Final match will follow the semifinals to crown a first Concacaf Nations League champion. There will also be a third placed match with all games played across one FIFA match window,” stated the release.
Meanwhile, Guyana will commence their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers during the October section of the International Friendly Window. A new format will be utilized by the confederation and will comprise three rounds and include all member associations.
The first section will feature 30 teams ranked from 6-35 based on the July 12th 2020 FIFA rankings. Guyana is ranked 19th. The teams will be divided into six groups of five, and will play four games each during the October and November International Windows. The respective group winners will progress to the second round of the event.
The second round will feature the respective group winners battling in home and away series during the March 2021 match window, with the three resulting victors progressing to the final round which will consist of eight teams, five of whom are ranked 1-5 on the CONCACAF standings.
Upon the conclusion of the final round, the top three teams will qualify to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The fourth placed finisher will contest the Confederation Playoff.
