Christopher Nurse, former captain of the Golden Jaguars said yesterday that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) appears satisfied with the performance of current head-coach Marcio Maximo despite recent failures in the FIFA World Cup and Gold Cup Qualifying campaigns.
Nurse, during an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday said that despite the first round failures of the current tactician, the GFF seems pleased with the current direction of the senior men’s programme under the stewardship of the Brazilian native.
“I think at this stage it makes no sense to speculate what should or should not be done with the national coach.
“The GFF seems to be content with the direction and results that are being produced, as are many of the local staff and key decision makers,” said Nurse.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Golden Jaguars were eliminated in the first round with a record of three losses and a win. Guyana lost to Trinidad Tobago (4-0), St. Kitts and Nevis (3-0) and Puerto Rico (2-0), with their only victory occurring against The Bahamas (4-0).
In the 2021 Gold Cup playoffs, Guyana suffered a 0-4 defeat to Guatemala (4-0) in the first round on July 3 at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Overall, Maximo’s record stands at four wins, six losses and a draw. The four losses have taken place in their last five fixtures.
Asked his thoughts on the team’s performance during the Gold Cup Playoffs, Nurse said, “I think the team battled and competed well. As expected from Guyana, we have talent and a competitive spirit. This part of the performance is nothing new or evolutionary.”
Quizzed about the composition of the Gold Cup playoff squad which excluded several senior players such as Sam Cox, Neil Danns, Anthony Jeffrey, Callum Harriott and Terrell Ondaan, the former defensive midfielder said, he was bewildered at the decision by the federation to institute a transition phase during international play.
He explained, “I don’t understand the transition in the international level at the World Cup qualifiers and Gold Cup qualification. For me these are moments when you select your best players to go out and win games. Only the GFF can validate or explain their mandate, but from the outside it seems very counterproductive and self-destructive.”
Nurse further said, “Omari Glasgow has been a shining light for local players for some time now, and I think Jobe also did very well. I hope they can continue to grow and develop. Between player omissions and the players that rejected call ups there were a number of talented players missing. If a player’s heart is not committed to representing the country, it makes no sense to call them. However it was visible that we were missing two or three key players.”
