CONCACAF Nations League
Guyana will resume their historic rivalry with Dutch-speaking neighbours Suriname today at 16:00hrs as the Golden Jaguars oppose ‘Natio’ in their debut fixture in League A of the CONCACAF Nations League at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.
History will not be on the side of the locals in what will be the first international fixture on local soil in excess of a year.
In 27 encounters against their Dutch-speaking rival, Guyana has a record of six wins, six defeats, and 15 losses. The previous two meetings between the nations ended in defeats for the Guyanese [2-3, 2016, 1-2, 2022].
In terms of competitive form entering the contest, Guyana sports a record of two wins and four defeats in 2024. Guyana defeated Cambodia 4-1 and Belize 3-1 but went down to Cape Verde 1-2, Trinidad and Tobago 1-2, 0-2, and Panama 0-2.
Statistically, they have scored eight times during the aforesaid period while conceding nine goals. On the other side, Suriname sport a record of two wins and a draw during the same window. The Surinamese defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4-1 and Anguilla 4-1 but drew 1-1 with Martinique.
Guyana’s squad reads: Goalkeepers Quillan Roberts (Western Suburbs FC, New Zealand), Kai McKenzie Lyle (Oxford City FC, UK), Akel Clarke (Slingerz FC, Guyana); Defenders: Curtez Kellman (Slingerz FC, Guyana), Jalen Jones (Oxford City FC, UK), Colin Nelson (GDF FC, Guyana), Terence Vancooten (Burton Albion FC, UK), Leo Lovell (Slingerz FC, Guyana), Liam Gordon (Walsall FC, UK), Jeremy Garrett (Slingerz FC, Guyana), Reis Greenidge (Maidstone United FC, UK), Samuel Cox (Oxford City FC, UK); Midfielders: Nathan Ferguson (Maidenhead United FC, UK), Ryan Hackett (GDF FC, Guyana), Elliot Bonds (Fleetwood Town FC, UK), Daniel Wilson (Western Tigers FC, Guyana), Nathan Moriah Welch (Hibernian FC, Scotland), Stephen Duke McKenna (Harrogate FC, UK), Kadel Daniel (Croydon Athletic, UK); and Forwards: Kelsey Benjamin (GDF FC, Guyana), Osaze De Rosario (Seattle Sounders FC, USA), Omari Glasgow (Chicago Fire FC, USA), Isaiah Jones (Middlesbrough FC, UK), and Deon Moore (Woking Football Club, UK)
The Golden Jaguars will then face off with Martinique four days later. In their October encounters, Guyana faces off against Guatemala on the 11th before ending their group campaign against Suriname four days onwards. The top two finishers from the group, which also comprises Costa Rica and Guadeloupe, will advance to the quarterfinal section in November. 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.
The release 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 release further stated, “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.”
