A 60-minute practice game against Jeddah Club was geared to test the depth of the Golden Jaguars squad, Assistant Coach Wayne Dover asserted on Friday night after the contest ended 1-1.
Substitutes from Guyana’s 1-0 defeat to Cabo Verde in the opening match of the FIFA Series on Thursday night were given a chance to showcase their prowess in Saudi Arabia as the first-choice players watched the action from the sidelines.
At the sound of the final whistle, nothing could separate the sides at one of several training pitches at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Forward Ryan Khedoo of Sigma FC (Canada) secured a place in history, becoming the first player of Guyanese ancestry to score on Saudi soil as he finished a pass from defender Quincy Adams at the top of the box, placing it to the bottom right of goal.
Jeddah Club, which was founded in 1968 and competes in the First Division League, the second tier of Saudi football, equalised soon after.
“This game provided us with a good opportunity to see many of the players who are not on the first team. Of course we make our notes and we go back to the drawing board and implement the things we think need improving,” Dover explained.
The Assistant Coach added that it augers well for the national team programme when young players like Khedoo, Darron Niles of Slingerz FC and others are showing an appetite and desire to excel at the highest level.
The starting XI read: Akel Clarke (Captain and Goalkeeper), Marcus Simmons, Nathan Ferguson, Ryan Hackett, Jalen Jones, Quincy Adams, Amos Ramsay, Darron Niles, Raushan Ritch, Ryan Khedoo and Kadel Daniel.
Khedoo, whose parents are Berbicians who migrated to Canada during their teenaged days, said it is a pleasure to be part of the national team programme and benefitting from the exposure that comes with playing in Saudi Arabia.
“I’m super grateful, super blessed to be here with the team and represent my roots and my country,” Khedoo said.
“It’s a fantastic and unbelievable opportunity for everyone to be here and for everyone to see Guyana on a bigger platform. You never who’s watching and this is a good opportunity for us in Guyana to showcase our talent.”
The practice game was initially not on the schedule for the Golden Jaguars, who are one of two teams (Bermuda being the other) from Concacaf selected to participate in friendly matches in the first-ever FIFA Series.
The Golden Jaguars will play their final game of the Series against Cambodia on March 26 at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
The match will kick off at 15:00h Guyana time.
ABOUT THE FIFA SERIES
These matches are part of a new initiative approved by the FIFA Council in 2023 where in every even-numbered year the world governing body will host matches across the six confederations.
Dubbed the FIFA Series, the first-ever staging allows football nations the opportunity to compete against teams outside their confederation.
According to FIFA, “The ultimate objective of the FIFA Series is to allow more international football interaction, making a concrete contribution to global football development. The pilot edition will feature 20 member associations playing in four locations across three continents.”
Algeria, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka are the host nations for the first FIFA Series.
