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TEARS flowed aplenty at the Radison Suites in Queenstown, Georgetown yesterday, as Jamaal Shabazz, inarguably the most successful Technical Director Guyana has ever seen, said goodbye to the sport. A Trinidadian by nationality, Shabazz said that he will always consider himself as Guyanese, but nonetheless, he felt that his job here in Guyana is done and that it’s time for him to move on.
The Neal & Massey Caledonia AIA head coach was elevated to joint head-coach of his country’s national football team (along with Huston ‘Barber’ Charles) who are competing in the Caribbean Cup finals in Antigua and Barbuda.
“I came in 2005 thanks to an invitation from my good friends Kashif and Shanghai and I was borrowed by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), so this is the second time in retiring but this time there would not be a second coming of Jamaal Shabazz; I’m done for good!” exclaimed Shabazz to a full contingent of local journalists.
Shabazz began to make a mark on local football and its supporters after pushing Guyana to their highest-ever ranking in FIFA – 90th – and would later fall short of a place in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, being edged out by Cuba on a single goal difference.
Amidst controversy after Guyana fell to Suriname at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, and marked their exit from the then FIFA 2010 World Cup Qualifiers, Shabazz had called it a day until he was lured into leading the Golden Jaguars in the recent Brazil Qualifiers.
Shabazz spoke of the hardship in Trinidad after leading the Jaguars past his homeland on the historical ’11.11.11’ while advancing to the penultimate round of the Brazil 2014 Qualifiers.
“It wasn’t easy for me living and working in Trinidad after then, believe me, it was anguish for my family and me but I’ve always seen myself as Guyanese,” said Shabazz.
“Football is my life,” Shabazz further mentioned, adding “Guyana is a country which I always tell people has some of the most talented players in the Caribbean but the administration on all levels has failed them. I have tremendous respect for those players that I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years that I’ve been here”.
Guyana’s football is in turmoil at present, with a number of senior players, including outspoken captain Christopher Nurse, making known their disgust at the state of the game and the mishandling for which they blame the GFF and further citing their unwillingness to represent Guyana unless a change is made.
The 48-year-old Shabazz said that his decision to move on has nothing to do with the state of affairs of the game but rather that it was just time for him to think about his future in the sport The GFF has not given him much option.
Speaking on the state of the game and the division between the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) and the GFF, Shabazz said that he has failed during his capacity of Technical Director to bring a resolution, but said that the Federation should take some blame as well.
“The colonial thinking and rules of the GFF will always be the downfall of the sport in Guyana. They need to revamp the sport and try as best to put an end to all the issues which surrounds the sport,” Shabazz said, adding “now there’s another tournament running just as the K&S Christmas tournament but they need to see that in the end it’s the sport and the players who will lose and not gain anything from this impasse”
The Neal & Massey Caledonia AIA head coach was elevated to joint head-coach of his country’s national football team (along with Huston ‘Barber’ Charles) who are competing in the Caribbean Cup finals in Antigua and Barbuda.
“I came in 2005 thanks to an invitation from my good friends Kashif and Shanghai and I was borrowed by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), so this is the second time in retiring but this time there would not be a second coming of Jamaal Shabazz; I’m done for good!” exclaimed Shabazz to a full contingent of local journalists.
Shabazz began to make a mark on local football and its supporters after pushing Guyana to their highest-ever ranking in FIFA – 90th – and would later fall short of a place in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, being edged out by Cuba on a single goal difference.
Amidst controversy after Guyana fell to Suriname at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, and marked their exit from the then FIFA 2010 World Cup Qualifiers, Shabazz had called it a day until he was lured into leading the Golden Jaguars in the recent Brazil Qualifiers.
Shabazz spoke of the hardship in Trinidad after leading the Jaguars past his homeland on the historical ’11.11.11’ while advancing to the penultimate round of the Brazil 2014 Qualifiers.
“It wasn’t easy for me living and working in Trinidad after then, believe me, it was anguish for my family and me but I’ve always seen myself as Guyanese,” said Shabazz.
“Football is my life,” Shabazz further mentioned, adding “Guyana is a country which I always tell people has some of the most talented players in the Caribbean but the administration on all levels has failed them. I have tremendous respect for those players that I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years that I’ve been here”.
Guyana’s football is in turmoil at present, with a number of senior players, including outspoken captain Christopher Nurse, making known their disgust at the state of the game and the mishandling for which they blame the GFF and further citing their unwillingness to represent Guyana unless a change is made.
The 48-year-old Shabazz said that his decision to move on has nothing to do with the state of affairs of the game but rather that it was just time for him to think about his future in the sport The GFF has not given him much option.
Speaking on the state of the game and the division between the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) and the GFF, Shabazz said that he has failed during his capacity of Technical Director to bring a resolution, but said that the Federation should take some blame as well.
“The colonial thinking and rules of the GFF will always be the downfall of the sport in Guyana. They need to revamp the sport and try as best to put an end to all the issues which surrounds the sport,” Shabazz said, adding “now there’s another tournament running just as the K&S Christmas tournament but they need to see that in the end it’s the sport and the players who will lose and not gain anything from this impasse”
