“LET’s get behind the Golden Jaguars” exclaimed an enthused Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo yesterday during a courtesy call made by the country’s Senior Men’s National football team at his office at the Ministry of the Presidency. Captain Christopher Nurse, Mathew Briggs, Vurlon Mills, Neil Danns and Anthony Whyte were the Golden Jaguars present while the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) team was headed by Chairman Clinton Urling, Tariq Williams and Eric Phillips, along with General Secretary Richard Groden and Director of Marketing and Communication Rawle Toney.
Minister within the Ministry of Education with the responsibility for Sport, Nicolette Henry, and Director of Youth, Trevor Williams, were also present during the team’s visit.
The Golden Jaguars will depart on Monday June 8 for St Vincent and Grenadines, where they will face the ‘Vincy Heat’ at the Arnos Vale Stadium from 15:30hrs on Wednesday June 10, to kick off their Russia 2018 World Cup aspiration.
On Sunday June 14, the Golden Jaguars will play the return leg of the home-and-away formatted qualifier at the Guyana National Stadium.
In a change from previous qualification tournaments, CONCACAF decided that the first three rounds will be played as knockout rounds, with both the fourth round and the final round (referred to as ‘The Hexagonal’) played as group stages.
The team’s captain presented the Prime Minister with an official player’s jersey with a special message.
“We want to welcome you to our team. The number 15 was chosen to represent the year you were voted into office. Welcome.” Nurse said.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo was pleasantly surprised, and told the contingent that “you can depend on me and my team for the support. Sports is one of the tools used to bring people together and football, as much as what’s going on at present, it can unite a nation and that’s what we want right now; everyone together.”
Minister Henry wished the team a successful run in their attempt to create history and said that she’s “looking forward to the home game next week and we will be in attendance to cheer you on”.
The team’s ‘skipper’ told the gathering in the Prime Minister’s office, “I promise that we’ll put our best foot forward; play with heart, passion and desire and everything that’s required of players when they’re representing their country.”
The result of the game at the end of the day will be in God’s hands but we will go out there and play our best.”
Meanwhile, Urling, the GFF’s Normalisation Committee Chairman spoke of the prospects of having the Golden Jaguars and other national teams of the Federation become Sports ambassadors; something Minister Henry fully supports and pledged her Ministry’s willingness to work together with the GFF to bring the idea to reality.
“The Normalisation Committee looks forward to working closely with government towards the development of football,” Urling said in the meeting with Prime Minister Nagamootoo who responded in the affirmative and asked that a proposal be made.