Long-serving Golden Jaguars captain Sam Cox has weighed in on the Guyana Football Federation’s decision to terminate the contract of senior men’s head coach Brazilian Marcio Maximo.
The right-back was surprisingly not selected for the final two matches (St. Kitts and Nevis 3-0, and Puerto Rico 2-0) of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers or the 2021 Gold Cup Preliminary stage fixture (Guatemala 4-0), Guyana crashed out of both events at the first hurdle.
Cox, who was Guyana’s captain in their maiden 2019 appearance at the Gold Cup, played the opening rounds of the World Cup Qualifiers (Trinidad and Tobago 4-0, and The Bahamas 0-4). The following is a transcript of the interview.
SS: What are your thoughts on Maximo exiting the programme following a mutual agreement with the GFF not to renew the contract?
SC: “It’s quite sad actually, I think when Maximo came in off the back of historic first qualification to a major tournament the Gold Cup in 2019, I think we had a real opportunity to not only develop but inherit what was said to be the golden generation of Guyanese players, that blend of local based and international based players that have built up such morale and great team spirit, such a honest hard working group of players that wanted to kick on and just succeed. He inherited those players but I don’t think he managed to quite grasp and get the best and utilise the maximum potential.
“So it’s disappointing of course, exiting the Gold Cup and World Cup Qualifiers when we did is disappointing because as a collective, we feel especially over the last two years, we could have achieved so much more but every manager has his own philosophy and way he wants to do things. Maximo was set in his ways and he had a philosophy and he stuck to it. Unfortunately it didn’t pay off but we all wish him the best in his future endeavours.
“I think it’s the right time for the announcement to be made. I think the players were frustrated, I think the fans were frustrated and at the end of the day, the betterment for the programme always has to be the priority now, especially when there is unrest in the camp with players. Change certainly had to happen. We now look forward to whoever takes the reins as head coach and we look forward to building on where we left off after the 2019 Gold Cup.”
SS: Obviously you were in and out of the team recently under his tenure; do you feel that his exit creates a restart for you in the programme to prove yourself?
SC: “Of course, the last two camps I was not called up by Maximo which was very disappointing. I went from being the captain, playing two 90-minutes against Trinidad and Bahamas and then not even being given a phone call as to why I wasn’t selected for the St Kitts camp.
It’s more disappointing because one of the last conversations that I had with Maximo after the Bahamas game was that I would always be called up under his tenure and how much of an integral role I played in keeping the local and international based group together and making it a unified group with my captain role and leadership skills.
“I didn’t get that phone call when I was not selected, which was very disappointing and felt it showed a lack of respect. It happened the round before to my brother Neil Danns, which again I felt, showed a lack of respect, considering the commitment and service shown to the country over the years. Obviously I have been playing for the Jags for the last seven years, made 29 appearances and been captain since 2016. That was very disappointing and hit home. A definite low point for me. I am not sure what the reasons were, even to this day. I would have respected him more if he had told me I’m not good enough! I would have really liked a phone call from him to explain the reasons why the change of decision. I’m not sure if it was in that camp when I raised a meeting with him about my concerns regarding the local based player’s fees they were getting whilst training in the national facility. I wasn’t happy and some of those boys voiced their frustrations to me, so me as captain had to take that to management and try to find a solution. Not sure if that was part of the reason why I wasn’t selected again or given a phone call? I didn’t get that explanation but I did raise that point to him and did say that was a concern of mine and the players but I don’t regret speaking up for those boys. I always stay true to my morals, I always stick to what I believe in and I felt like that meeting was warranted. I didn’t say anything disrespectfully but what I did do was stand up for the players. Whether that was to my detriment as to why I wasn’t selected, I wasn’t given that explanation. The manager made his decision and at the end of the day whether I was in the squad or not, I was always going to support those boys that were selected and always want the best for the national program. That’s all I ever wanted.
“With Maximo’s exit, does that create a restart for me in the programme? Most certainly. I think it’s a restart for everyone. A new manager, new philosophies, with new ideas. I still feel like I have got many years of representing the country, playing, leading and captaining the team if given that opportunity. So I very much look forward to a new start under fresh breath, fresh ideas and I know myself and the players can’t wait to get going again. Like I said, whether I am asked to take a role in playing or if an opportunity came about in a coaching capacity (or both) I am always here, I am always going to do my utmost and give a 100 per cent for Guyana and help us get to where we need to get to. These next two years are where we want to rebuild where we left off in 2019.”
