-GFF offers no explanation
The dates and venues for the Golden Jaguars’ Concacaf Gold Cup preliminary round fixtures against Guatemala have been confirmed for March 21 and 25. However, in a surprising decision, the national team’s home fixture will not be played on Guyanese soil but instead in Barbados.
This move is in line with previous instances where the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has opted to host home matches abroad due to various challenges. In an effort to seek clarification, Stabroek Sport reached out to the GFF’s Public Relations department but received no response.
The trend of relocating home games is not new for Guyana’s national team. In March 2021, during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, Guyana’s designated home fixture against The Bahamas was played in the Dominican Republic. The change was primarily due to COVID-19 protocols and related logistical hurdles in the region.