COME next week, when Guyana’s Golden Jaguars get ready to do battle in the Parbo Bier Cup tournament in Paramaribo, Suriname, the Crandon brothers Michael and Ryan will be representing Guyana for the first time in the same team. Guyana will be participating in the tournament which will kick off next Wednesday against Vitesse and SuriPro, two professional clubs from Holland and a representative national team of Suriname.
The brothers, who had represented Guyana at all the youth levels before, are expected to be in the starting eleven for the first game.
Michael, the older of the two, who last played for CBR Mining Milerock in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship a few weeks ago, had been a member of Bakewell Topp XX before moving to the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League to represent Tobago United FC which today no longer exists.
He later migrated to Suriname where he played for Transvaal SV before returning to Guyana to be a part of CBR Mining Milerock’s lineup.
Ryan commenced his football career at the youth level, playing for Milerock FC and has represented Guyana at all the youth levels, playing in the Inter-Guiana Games for three years as well, before making his senior debut against Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly two years ago.
Asked how they feel to be in the same team to represent their country, both said ‘good’, with Michael going on to explain that he has represented Guyana at youth level before moving to the TT Pro league and did not get a chance to represent Guyana over the past six years.
He noted that his return to represent Milerock FC at the Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament where he played a good tournament that earned him his successful selection to the Golden Jaguars’ squad.
He said after that he was called in a friendly to play against India and was injured during the game and could not continue but returned to Transvaal SV to continue his Dutch season and made good of it.
Michael was recalled to the Golden Jags and had a good Caribbean and French Guiana tour and has now been selected to represent Guyana in the Dutch tournament.
Ryan, the younger brother, feels excited to play under the Golden Jags with his older brother, since he said they will form the core of the defence with Selwyn Isaacs and Denvor Dennis, and noted that his brother’s experience on the field of play will boost his confidence to play more and to execute the team’s functions.
“It’s going to be the first time we will play in the senior team for Guyana and we will both do our best as ambassadors for our family, club, association and country,” while noting that it will be a stepping stone for him to play against some of the best footballers in the Dutch territory and will also be the right time for him to be highlighted for an international club tryout.