With the 2023–2024 Concacaf Nations League penciled down to commence on September 7th, the Golden Jaguars’ local contingent is in full preparatory mode at the National Training Centre, Providence, under the supervision of head coach Jamaal Shabazz.
According to a source close to the team who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “The team has commenced training; this process started about two weeks prior, and they train five days a week barring Mondays and Sundays.” Generally, the training would feature, on average, 20–25 players, but the numbers vary by day. The sessions are being conducted by Shabazz and assistant Wayne Dover.
“There has been no word from the technical team or the GFF on the possibility of international friendlies before the start of the tournament,” said the source.
Guyana’s senior men’s football team has been drawn in Group D of League B for the upcoming campaign. The Guyanese have been paired with Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico and The Bahamas. Each team will play six matches—three away and three at home—with the resulting group winner gaining promotion to League A. The cellar occupant will be relegated to League C.
The other pools are Group A: Guadeloupe, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Sint Maarten; Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Montserrat, and Barbados; and Group C: French Guiana, Bermuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Belize.
The Golden Jaguars will open their campaign on September 9th in Antigua and Barbuda before battling The Bahamas three days later. Guyana will then lock horns with Puerto Rico on October 14th before the reverse fixture is staged on October 17th.
The Golden Jaguars’ final two matches will occur on November 18th and November 21st, respectively, against The Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda.
In the 2022–2023 edition, Guyana ended in second place with 10 points. In the inaugural 2019–2020 edition, Guyana finished in the runner-up spot in league B with nine points.
According to Concacaf, a format change was implemented for the 2023–2024 edition, which resulted in no relegation of teams following the end of the 2022–2023 season.
League A has been increased from 12 to 16 teams and will feature a quarterfinal section. The 12 lowest-ranked teams in League A will feature in a group stage comprising two pools of six, with the resulting group winner and runner-up advancing to the elimination section alongside the USA, Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica. The quarterfinal fixtures will utilize a home-and-away format.
The fifth and sixth-placed teams at the end of the group stage in League A will be relegated.
Meanwhile, League C has been reduced from 12 to nine teams. The competing nations will be divided into three groups of three, with the resulting group winners and the best second-placed team in the division advancing to League B.
