The Golden Jaguars have amplified their preparation for their impending two-match international series against traditional rival Trinidad and Tobago, with the team slated to depart local shores tomorrow morning for the twin island republic.
The provisional roster, which is under the watchful eye of head coach Jamaal Shabazz, has intensified their preparation at the National Training Centre in Providence. The final team is slated to be announced shortly.
The series will be used to select the remaining roster spots for locally based players for the imminent 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in June. The aforesaid fixtures also form part of the preparation for the team’s League A debut in the CONCACAF Nations League in September. The matches will be staged on May 13th and 15th at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad, with 24 players from the recently concluded GFF Elite League first round set to feature.
The Golden Jaguars have been drawn in Group D in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which is scheduled to commence in June. The Guyanese have been paired with Panama, Nicaragua, Montserrat, and Belize.
In their previous 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Guyana ended with a record of one win and three losses to finish in fourth place on three points. Guyana defeated the Bahamas 4-0 but suffered defeats against Trinidad and Tobago [0-3], St. Kitts and Nevis [0-3], and Puerto Rico [0-2].
Guyana is also slated to make its debut in League A of the CONCACAF Nations League. The Golden Jaguars were drawn into Group A alongside Costa Rica, Guatemala, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Suriname. On the other hand, group B of the section comprises Jamaica, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Nicaragua, and French Guiana.
Guyana sealed their qualification to League A in the CONCACAF Nations League following a 5-0 record in Group D in League B.
The Guyanese defeated Antigua and Barbuda [5-1, 6-0], the Bahamas [3-2], and Puerto Rico [3-1, 3-1]. In the 2022–2023 edition of League B, Guyana ended up 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, League A comprises 16 teams and a quarterfinal section, with 12 teams battling in an initial group stage format utilising the ‘Swiss Format’, as each team will play two home fixtures and as many away matches. CONCACAF further stated, “After Group Stage play in September and October 2024, the first and second-place finishers of each group (four teams in total) will advance to the Quarterfinals, where they will join the four top-ranked League A teams (Mexico, the United States, Panama, and Canada). The quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away format, with the aggregate score winner in each matchup advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals.”
