– Dover slated for caretaker role
Golden Jaguars head-coach and Trinidad and Tobago native Jamaal Shabazz has been asked to tender his resignation from the programme by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Executive Committee.
According to a source close to the federation and the senior men’s programme, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “Jamaal Shabazz has been asked to resign by the GFF Executive Committee; he was asked since earlier in the week to tender his resignation from the team. It is unclear if he has actually resigned, but the GFF has not issued any official termination letter to him.”
The source further said, “Wayne Dover is expected to take over the team for the remainder of the year until the GFF advertises for a new coach. Some of the players want him to remain. Other than the string of bad results in League A that resulted in the team’s relegation, the main reason for the GFF asking for his resignation stems from the fact that Shabazz rather interestingly supported the Franklin Wilson slate against the Wayne Forde administration at the previous GFF Elections last year.”
Shabazz was appointed for his fourth stint in charge of the senior men’s programme in September 2021 during a press conference held at the National Training Centre, Providence.
Under the stewardship of Shabazz, Guyana made their debut in League A of the CONCACAF Nations League following a perfect 5-0 record in Group D of League B. The Guyanese defeated Antigua and Barbuda [5-1, 6-0], the Bahamas [3-2], and Puerto Rico [3-1, 3-1] to secure their place in the upper echelons of regional football.
Unfortunately, Guyana was also relegated from League A following a record of three losses [3-1, 5-1 Suriname, 3-1, Guatemala] and a draw [2-2, Martinique]. In 2024, Guyana sports an unenviable record of seven defeats, two wins, and a draw under the Trinidad and Tobago native. Overall, in 27 official matches since his reappointment, Shabazz sports a record of 12 wins, 12 losses, and three draws, according to the digital football database ‘Transfer Markt’.
The former Caledonia AIA manager, who has been at the helm of the national setup on three previous occasions (2005-2008, 2011-2012, and 2015-2016), created history when he oversaw the local unit’s record-setting FIFA World Cup 2014 campaign.
The local side, under the stewardship of the Trinidadian, also qualified for the CONCACAF semi-finals of the World Cup qualifying campaign for the first time in its history.
