Golden Jaguars’ 18-man squad named for T&T clash

Wayne Dover, Interim Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National Team – the Golden Jaguars – has selected an 18-man squad for the upcoming International Friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on November 14.

The squad consists of 15 overseas-based and three locally-based players, the Guyana Football Federation said in a release on Wednesday afternoon.

“One of the four additions is a young, talented Central Defender – Smith,” Dover said. “We have been short of Central Defenders as of recent and although we have identified talent, the likes of Jeremy Garrett and Cecil Jackman, who will emerge as leading defenders in the future, we’ll focus on using the new-found talent for the Trinidad game.”

Daniel, while new to the senior national team, played at the national U-23 level in an Olympic qualifier some years ago. 

Looking ahead to the Trinidad game, Dover said: “We are expecting a very tough game where Trinidad will bring it to us especially since they’re coming off from a 2-1 victory against the United States. They should be confident but we’re preparing for that. We will try to give a good account of ourselves, give a good match and get a positive result.”  

Meanwhile, a 24-man locally-based squad began training on November 5, as Guyana also prepares to face Indonesia in an International Friendly on November 25 in Indonesia.

“Fitness is currently our number priority. Analysis of our previous match against Grenada revealed a number of areas in the team’s performance that can be improved. Such areas included our crossing ability and our execution of combination play. Nevertheless, we have used this knowledge to develop a new training regimen.”

While some of the selected players travel to Trinidad, the others will remain as a unit with identified coaches. “Bryan Joseph and Lyndon France will remain to work with players who are not selected and, in so doing, provide them with an opportunity to improve their fitness and understanding of tactics. This will improve their chances of being selected for the subsequent Indonesian International Friendly,” Dover said.

The overseas-based players, who are all in peak shape from playing in ongoing seasonal matches with their respective clubs, will join the locally-based team members in Trinidad.   

The Golden Jaguars are set to depart for Trinidad and Tobago on Friday for their November 14 date with the Trinidad and Tobago Senior Men’s National Team at the Ato Bolton Stadium.

The squad reads: Akel Clarke, Andrew Durant, Christopher Bourne, Jake Newton, Jelani Smith, Samuel Cox, Terence Vancooten, Brandon Beresford, Warren Creavalle, Dwain Jacobs, Anthony Benfield, Kadell Daniels, Daniel Jodah, Shaquille Agard, Emery Welshman, Sheldon Holder, Gregory Richardson and Devonte Small.