The locally-based Lady Jaguars football players will commence preparation today at the National Training Centre in Providence for the 2023 FIFA World Cup qualification.
This is, according to a press release from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
The squad is scheduled for COVID-19 testing today, with sessions being held at the facility until the final roster is selected for the first round of the CONCACAF qualifying fixtures in November.
President of the GFF Wayne Forde said, “We are delighted to have the Lady Jags commence their important preparations for these crucial games. We all know the record of success that the Lady Jags has achieved in recent years. The GFF is investing in this extended training regime and all other necessary measures to ensure this success continue this year.”
He added, “We are confident that this generation of players can take us to the next level, especially as more young players come through the ranks via GFF’s youth development programmes.
“The GFF is committed to investing heavily in women’s football as we look to make up for lost time during the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver on our strategic plan to develop football for all in Guyana,” Forde added.
According to the correspondence, “As in the previous cycle, the CONCACAF Women’s Championship – set for July 2022 – will serve as the qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand. The top four teams from the CONCACAF Women’s Championship will qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with a further two teams competing in an inter-confederation play-off tournament.”
Qualification matches for the CONCACAF Women’s Championship are set to be staged in November 2021 and April 2022 respectively, with further details expected to be announced in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Assistant coach Akilah Castello, who will be in charge of the local sessions, opined, “We have a very talented and passionate domestic squad that is raring to get back on the pitch.”
She added, “Because of the absence of competition during COVID, we are going to focus first on building fitness and conditioning. Our aim, over the coming months, will be to develop a larger domestic cohort of players that is ready and able to contribute to the final squad to represent Guyana on the international stage and to make our nation proud.”
The release also stated that the U20 team will participate in the Concacaf U20 Women’s Championship qualifiers in September, with the U17s making an appearance at the Concacaf U17 Women’s Championship in August.
“The GFF will also be sending the U14 squad to the Caribbean Football Union Challenge Series and will host the U15 squad in a camp to prepare for regional competition next year”, the release disclosed.
