It is looking unlikely Guyana will be able to host the Golden Jaguars home game against Puerto Rico in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers in June.
The two Group F teams are due to meet on June 8 in what is a Guyana home game, but according to President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, that match could most likely be held outside of Guyana, given the prevailing COVID-19 situation here.
“It doesn’t look likely because the main factor there is the international players, if they come here they will have difficulty going back to their respective destination because of how Guyana has been categorised. That is one of the most challenging issues that we haven’t resolved yet,” Forde said this week.
Guyana has experienced an upsurge in COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks. As of April 28, Guyana’s death toll was 293, including a whopping 60 for the month, while the overall number of positive cases is 12,963.
“We’re looking at all options because travel is not easy either- to use commercial flights to get around this part is becoming increasingly challenging- so they’re still working towards confirming where that home game will be.”
“Even though we have made submission to Concacaf to play home, from all appearances it appears as if we are going to be playing that game outside of Guyana.”
Apart from that contest, the Golden Jaguars are down to face St. Kitts and Nevis four days earlier on June 4, and that is designated a home game for St. Kitts and Nevis.
In the earlier games in March, Guyana was due to host the Bahamas and play away to Trinidad and Tobago, but both games were shifted to the Dominican Republic, owing to the COVID-19 protocols in Trinidad at the time.
While the Jaguars opened with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago, they rebounded to inflict a 4-0 drubbing on the Bahamas.
The Guyana Football Federation has since submitted an official protest to FIFA regarding the selection of Andre Boucaud by Trinidad and Tobago in the match-day squad against Guyana.
The GFF believes Boucaud was ineligible for selection as a registered intermediary and, as such, that any points secured by Trinidad and Tobago during any related FIFA World Cup qualification matches should be forfeited.
The victory over the Bahamas pushed Guyana to third on the table on three points. Trinidad and Tobago sit second on four points, while St. Kitts and Nevis lead the table with the maximum six points from two matches.
Puerto Rico (one point) and the Bahamas (zero) complete the table. Only one team would advance from this group to the next round.