As the countdown begins to the start of the Concacaf Nations League in the September to November window, a 31-man Guyana-based provisional squad has been selected to begin training this Thursday at the Guyana Football Federation’s National Training Centre, Providence.
The squad, comprising four Goalkeepers, 11 Defenders, 10 Midfielders and six Forwards, also has seven first-timers who will be competing for a chance to earn their debut in the senior national squad.
According to Charles Pollard, the Golden Jaguars Assistant Coach and lead for the Guyana-based team preparation, the squad was selected by a technical panel including Head Coach Michael Johnson.
“We’re continuously looking for players with the right combination of technical skill, heart and commitment to represent Guyana. I believe this squad reflects that. While the majority of the squad is taken from those who were part of the previous training programme, we have brought in some new players who have shown creditable performance in the recently-held tournaments and who have to fight for a place when the short list is made,” Pollard explained.
He continued, “One of those players is young Ryan Dowding, who performed well during the recently-concluded GFF-KFC U-20 Tournament. Careful consideration was made to the squad selection by a technical panel including Head of Recruitment, Faizal Khan; Goalkeeper Coach, Eon De Viera; Fitness Coach, Wilson Toledo; Head Coach, Michael Johnson, Technical Director, Ian Greenwood and me.”
Pollard said the first sessions will prioritise fitness, which will be led by Toledo.
“Fitness in the sport, especially during this time, can never be underestimated so while some of the guys have been actively engaged in tournaments, others may not have been so active so the fitness regime will test this to determine their overall readiness and will also point us to areas to focus on.”
The fitness evaluation is scheduled for Saturday.
Guyana will play three home and three away matches as follows:
- September 6: Aruba vs Guyana in Curacao
- October 9 – Guyana vs Jamaica in Guyana
- October 11: Antigua and Barbuda vs Guyana in Antigua
- October 14 – Guyana vs Antigua in Guyana
- November 15 – Guyana vs Aruba in Guyana
- November 18: Jamaica vs Guyana in Jamaica
More tournament details as well as the home venue for matches will be announced soonest. (GFF)
