The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) confirmed today (April 18) that the Golden Jaguars ‘home game’ against Curacao will be played at the Ergilio Hato Stadium on June 1.
A release from the GFF states that Guyana, the Curacao Football Federation and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Football Association came to an agreement as it relates to their respective fixtures of the Second Round of the Scotia Bank Men’s Caribbean Cup Championship.
This decision, the GFF said, was made due to the unavailability of an appropriate venue in Guyana to host the matches and was agreed to by the two other Regional Associations and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
With the Guyana National Stadium is unavailable due to the hosting of the June 3 – 10 Tri-Series featuring the West Indies, Australia and South Africa, leaving the GFF with the Leonora Track and Field Facility, West Coast Demerara, as their only other option.
However, following a site visit by a team from the GFF, it was said that the facility will require a significant amount of work to ensure its readiness.
Based on the agreement reached between the three competing countries, following Guyana’s game against Curacao, the Golden Jaguars will then travel to the USVI for their next CFU Caribbean Cup Round-2 encounter at the Addelita Cancryn Playing Field on June 4. Curacao will then host the USVI on June 7.
Stadion Ergilio Hato, named after the Island’s legendary goalkeeper, is a multi-purpose stadium in Willemstad, Curacao, also known as Sentro Deportivo Korsou (SDK) and is the island’s largest stadium with a capacity of 15,000 spectators.
In 2012, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the GFF sold their hosting rights to the Mexican Football Federation to have their home game against Mexico played at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, instead of the Guyana National Stadium.