Golden Jaguars U20 Men’s head coach, Kayode McKinnon, is of the opinion that his charges are well prepared for the challenges presented in Group B at the impending CONCACAF Qualifiers, which will be staged in Antigua and Barbuda from February 23rd.
This was disclosed in a press release from the Guyana Football Federation. McKinnon said, “We’re happy with our decision,” adding that he chose “players that are ready to take on this challenge that is ahead of us.” According to McKinnon, player evaluations focused on the physical qualities required at this level as well as football intelligence, competitiveness, honesty, and humility. The team, which was officially released to the public yesterday and is slated to depart local shores on the 21st, comprises: Goalkeepers: Duquain Samuels, Emmanuel Lewis, and Julien Casimir Defenders: Gerry-Mayer Burnette, Jaden Thom, Jayden Culley, Kyle Reid, Tyler Lyle, Tyrel Stephen, and Tyrese Lyle Midfielders: Hemant Brandon Khedoo, Bryan Wharton, Ezekiel Rowland, Kvist Paul, Kymani Sealey, Nathaniel Pydana, Rodensio Tudor, Shemaiah Samuels, and Solomon Austin; and forwards: Matrim Martin and Perry Gaul.
According to McKinnon, “We believe that it’s an honest process. It was one in which we saw the players giving their best and wanting to represent the country, wanting to do well for the country, and that only created a healthy environment and a competitive one that will only do well for Guyana now and in the future.”
The Golden Jaguars have been drawn in group B of the qualifiers, which will occur across five venues in the Caribbean and Central America during the period of February 23rd–March 2nd. The teams were seeded in their respective pots based on their current rankings.
The Guyanese, who were seeded in pool 4 of the five-pot selection process, have been paired with El Salvador, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, and Turks and Caicos. The matches will be staged in Antigua and Barbuda at the island’s technical centre.
Guyana, which is ranked 27th, will open its campaign against the hosts on February 23rd. They will then oppose El Salvador two days later, before battling Suriname on the 27th. Guyana’s final match will occur on February 29th against the Turks and Caicos.
In the 2022 edition, the Golden Jaguars ended with a record of one win, a loss, and a draw. Guyana played a scoreless affair with the Cayman Islands before crushing the US Virgin Islands 5-1 in their second outing. In their final match, Guyana lost 0-5 to Nicaragua in a must-win encounter.
Meanwhile, group A of the qualifiers comprises Cuba, Nicaragua, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and Anguilla, while group C contains Guatemala, Curacao, Aruba, Saint Martin, and Barbados, and group D consists of Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica.
On the other hand, group E is made up of Haiti, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Cayman Islands, with Jamaica, Bermuda, Grenada, and Martinique comprising group F.
Upon the conclusion of the group stage, the respective pool winner will advance to the 2024 CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship, joining the top six seeds that have automatically qualified in the form of the defending champion United States of America, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
