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WHEN the 23rd edition of the Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament kicks off tonight, at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, there will be two exciting matches involving four evenly matched teams, two of whom will definitely walk the plank out of this year’s tournament. Linden’s pride and joy Amelia’s Ward United who placed third in last year’s Guyana Football Federation (GFF)-sponsored Super League competition and currently lie in fourth position in this year’s edition, face Bartica’s Millballers in the opening encounter at 18:00hrs.
Following the opening ceremony and march past at 20:00hrs of all 16 teams who will be battling for the top prize of one pound of gold worth G$4M and the lien trophy, 2008-2009 champions Pele and Buxton Stars will meet in the feature clash from 21:00hrs.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, all the personnel in charge of the four teams for today’s opening matches expressed confidence on behalf of their team.
Millballers coach Marlon Ambrose believes that the hard work that was put in by the technical staff in preparing the team for this year’s tournament will reap benefits, as they intend to hit the ground running hard at their opponents.
“We will be playing aggressive football from the opening whistle. We left no stones unturned in our quest for victory during our preparation period and this will be evident when we face Amelia’s Ward. They are the giants of Linden and we intend to stop them and be named the giant-killers,” said Ambrose.
To effect this, he will be turning to players of the calibre of Andel Norton, Malcolm Augustus, Andre Stoby, Aloysius Edwards, Tyson McNaughton, skipper Kwesi Jacobs and Rondell Washington, to steer their side into the quarter-final round.
However, on the other side of the field stand a team, who, on their day can spoil the party or expectations of any team in Guyana, when it comes to the world’s favourite sport, according to their president Terrence Mitchell.
“We are the number three team in Guyana and that alone should tell you of the quality and standard of football we at Amelia’s Ward United Football Club are playing at present.
“We have one thing in mind and that is to take this year’s K&S title. The guys are hungry for added success and the way they are playing and training at the moment, I don’t foresee any team stopping us from lifting that title for the first time in our club’s history on New Year’s Day.”
Mitchell admitted that his team has never made it to the final of this prestigious tournament, but with players like Travis Watterton, Odel Allicock, Gavin Daw, Michael Crandon, Kwesi Johnson, Seon Sears, the Simon brothers Monty and Marlon, and a guest player from Suriname, he believes this is the time for Amelia’s Ward United to do so.
Pele are no pushovers when it comes to football in Guyana, having proved themselves time and time again, but in Buxton Stars, they face a foe who can be described as the upstarts in football on the East Coast of Demerara.
Club president Cary Jacques, himself a former national custodian, backs his team to not only dominate but also annihilate their opponents this evening while taking the opportunity to stamp their authority on the tournament and to leave a lasting impression on the minds of the spectators.
“We have in our coaching staff, Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson, a man whom most of our players would have passed through on the national grid and while I am not disrespecting Buxton or their image since they would have prepared well and want to make a lasting impression themselves, we are ready for any challenge that is thrown at us in this year’s tournament.”
Golden Jaguars’ Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Konata Mannings, along with AIA Caledonia’s Sheldon Holder, the experienced Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant and Dirk Archer, Quincy Adams and their custodian Shemroy Arthur, will lead Pele’s challenge tonight.
This is the second outing for the Sherry Abrams-coached Buxton Stars and as fate would have it, they will be playing the same opponents as they did the first time around, Pele, in their first match – a fact that did not faze Abrams.
“When we faced them in our first outing last year, we lost on penalty kicks after taking the lead twice and allowing them to equalise, taking the game into extra time and later on penalty kicks. The guys have learnt from that experience and we will be going at them hard tonight.
“Once we execute the game plan to the last punctuation mark, I don’t see why we cannot come out on top over them,” said Abrams.
Former national Under-17 custodian Ravin Choo, Alistair Deen, Jollyon Fraser, Sherwin Griffith, Seon Thomas and Neville Gulliver will lead the East Coast Demerara team, who for the first time will be looking to make the quarter-finals.
Apart from the top prize, the runners-up will collect G$1M, third-placers $750 000 and fourth-placers $500 000, with the Most Valuable Player of this year’s competition driving away with a Toyota Allex motor car, compliments of Edward B. Beharry Group of Companies, and the best coach a motorcycle.
In addition to the above, each participating team will receive a complete set of playing uniforms while spectators who grace the various venues with their presence for this year’s tournament, have the opportunity to win one motorcycle.
The final is billed for the Guyana National Stadium on New Year’s Day 2013, where Jamaica’s Reggae/Dancehall artiste Mavado is expected to thrill the crowd with his lyrics.
Following the opening ceremony and march past at 20:00hrs of all 16 teams who will be battling for the top prize of one pound of gold worth G$4M and the lien trophy, 2008-2009 champions Pele and Buxton Stars will meet in the feature clash from 21:00hrs.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, all the personnel in charge of the four teams for today’s opening matches expressed confidence on behalf of their team.
Millballers coach Marlon Ambrose believes that the hard work that was put in by the technical staff in preparing the team for this year’s tournament will reap benefits, as they intend to hit the ground running hard at their opponents.
“We will be playing aggressive football from the opening whistle. We left no stones unturned in our quest for victory during our preparation period and this will be evident when we face Amelia’s Ward. They are the giants of Linden and we intend to stop them and be named the giant-killers,” said Ambrose.
To effect this, he will be turning to players of the calibre of Andel Norton, Malcolm Augustus, Andre Stoby, Aloysius Edwards, Tyson McNaughton, skipper Kwesi Jacobs and Rondell Washington, to steer their side into the quarter-final round.
However, on the other side of the field stand a team, who, on their day can spoil the party or expectations of any team in Guyana, when it comes to the world’s favourite sport, according to their president Terrence Mitchell.
“We are the number three team in Guyana and that alone should tell you of the quality and standard of football we at Amelia’s Ward United Football Club are playing at present.
“We have one thing in mind and that is to take this year’s K&S title. The guys are hungry for added success and the way they are playing and training at the moment, I don’t foresee any team stopping us from lifting that title for the first time in our club’s history on New Year’s Day.”
Mitchell admitted that his team has never made it to the final of this prestigious tournament, but with players like Travis Watterton, Odel Allicock, Gavin Daw, Michael Crandon, Kwesi Johnson, Seon Sears, the Simon brothers Monty and Marlon, and a guest player from Suriname, he believes this is the time for Amelia’s Ward United to do so.
Pele are no pushovers when it comes to football in Guyana, having proved themselves time and time again, but in Buxton Stars, they face a foe who can be described as the upstarts in football on the East Coast of Demerara.
Club president Cary Jacques, himself a former national custodian, backs his team to not only dominate but also annihilate their opponents this evening while taking the opportunity to stamp their authority on the tournament and to leave a lasting impression on the minds of the spectators.
“We have in our coaching staff, Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson, a man whom most of our players would have passed through on the national grid and while I am not disrespecting Buxton or their image since they would have prepared well and want to make a lasting impression themselves, we are ready for any challenge that is thrown at us in this year’s tournament.”
Golden Jaguars’ Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson and Konata Mannings, along with AIA Caledonia’s Sheldon Holder, the experienced Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant and Dirk Archer, Quincy Adams and their custodian Shemroy Arthur, will lead Pele’s challenge tonight.
This is the second outing for the Sherry Abrams-coached Buxton Stars and as fate would have it, they will be playing the same opponents as they did the first time around, Pele, in their first match – a fact that did not faze Abrams.
“When we faced them in our first outing last year, we lost on penalty kicks after taking the lead twice and allowing them to equalise, taking the game into extra time and later on penalty kicks. The guys have learnt from that experience and we will be going at them hard tonight.
“Once we execute the game plan to the last punctuation mark, I don’t see why we cannot come out on top over them,” said Abrams.
Former national Under-17 custodian Ravin Choo, Alistair Deen, Jollyon Fraser, Sherwin Griffith, Seon Thomas and Neville Gulliver will lead the East Coast Demerara team, who for the first time will be looking to make the quarter-finals.
Apart from the top prize, the runners-up will collect G$1M, third-placers $750 000 and fourth-placers $500 000, with the Most Valuable Player of this year’s competition driving away with a Toyota Allex motor car, compliments of Edward B. Beharry Group of Companies, and the best coach a motorcycle.
In addition to the above, each participating team will receive a complete set of playing uniforms while spectators who grace the various venues with their presence for this year’s tournament, have the opportunity to win one motorcycle.
The final is billed for the Guyana National Stadium on New Year’s Day 2013, where Jamaica’s Reggae/Dancehall artiste Mavado is expected to thrill the crowd with his lyrics.
