The Lady Jaguars departed local shores yesterday to compete in the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship in the Dominican Republic with a date against powerhouse and group E winner Mexico Saturday in the round of 16 stage.
The team, which will now be coached by Levi Braithwaite, following the unavailability of Akilah Castello owing to a personal emergency, comprises 20 members including eight overseas born and/or based players.
According to a release from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) the roster comprises: Alexis Bayley, Alyssa Blake, Anostasha Coppin, Sue Edwards, Sidney Facey, Maliya Gangadin, Fayon Harry, Sandra Johnson, Karen Jupiter, Akasha Low-Koan, Sara Matthies, Ciara Sarius, Anika Sproxton, Odelli Staughn, Jalade Trim, Akeelah Vancooten, Nikita Wayne, Anaya Willabus, Latoya Williams and Nya Grace. Guyana qualified for the tournament as the best second place finisher during the Qualification Round in 2021. Guyana finished with a record of two wins and a loss. They defeated lowly Anguilla 1-0, and Turks and Caicos 6-0, but lost to powerhouse Honduras 0-6.
They are scheduled to face unbeaten Mexico who dispatched Nicaragua 10-0 and Panama 7-0 in their group E fixtures.
GFF President Wayne Forde said, “We wish the girls all the best in the Dominican Republic as they fly the flag for Guyana at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship. This is the first time we have reached the final stages of this tournament in back-to-back qualifications, which shows the tangible progress we are making at this level, thanks to continuous investments in our Guyana-wide programme and scouting efforts in the diaspora.” He added, “We know the team will face very strong opponents in this stage of the competition, so it is important to manage our expectations. However, we can be sure that the squad and staff will make us all proud, on and off the field of the play. This Concacaf tournament is another excellent opportunity for our players and staff to showcase their talent and play at a higher level than they are used to, and to learn and develop as we build capacity and capabilities for the future.”
