… TD uncertain about national team’s future

IT’S been close to two years since Guyana’s senior National team, popularly known as the ‘Golden Jaguars’ have been seen or even heard of. 
In fact, Jaguars’ last game was against French Guiana in the 2012 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup, which they won 4-3, thanks to a double from Shawn Beveney and a goal each from Vurlon Mills and Walter Moore.
Since then, stories of the team that reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 FIFA Brazil World Cup qualifiers have already gone down in the books of old Guyanese folklore.
However, with the CFU 2014 Caribbean Cup drawing near, the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) actions are casting nothing but doubts in the minds of not just ordinary Guyanese but the players in particular.
Guyana are drawn to play against hosts St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and St Lucia in Group Six of the CFU Caribbean Cup which begins on September 1.
The Golden Jaguars, according to fixtures published by FIFA and the CFU, will play their first game of the tournament on Wednesday, September 3 against Dominica, followed by a clash with St Lucia on Friday, September 5 and St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday, September 7.
Once again the Caribbean Cup will decide several teams that will qualify for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and, on this occasion, one which will obtain an automatic berth to the Centennial America Cup 2016.
The champion of the 2015 Gold Cup will then participate in a play-in match against the 2013 champion United States for a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
“The senior National team will assemble soon,” said the GFF Technical Director Mark Rodrigues, when asked by Chronicle Sport about the Jaguars’ participation at the Caribbean Cup.
Rodrigues at the time was addressing the media at a press conference hosted by the GFF at their Campbellville head office in Georgetown, to give an update about their Under-17 National team.
The GFF apparently has abandoned its senior national team since the sport’s local governing body at no time makes mention of them, even as the CFU Club Championship approaches.
“I can’t say when we will look into them, but right now, our focus is on the youths,” Rodrigues said, adding, “what we’re doing right now is investing in Guyana’s future of the sport and setting a foundation for our real plan.”
“We understand that having a senior national team is important and I must say that we (GFF) haven’t forgotten about them. That’s what people tune in to see – the seniors. It’s the arm of the GFF which appeals more to businesses, and I understand how people feel about them but at the same time we need to invest in our youths,” Rodrigues said.
Asked about the national players, based overseas, Rodrigues pointed out, “Yes! Of course we will involve them because we would want the best players to represent us, but at this time, I can’t say when we would get together but it’s going to be soon.”
It’s not clear how the learned technical director’s words should be interpreted. On one hand, he’s stating that he acknowledges the importance of having a senior National team yet being uncertain when the team will get together, while saying that the GFF priority right now is in its U-17 and other youth programmes.
In all fairness, Guyanese deserve to hear exactly what’s happening with the Golden Jaguars instead of the GFF taking its national players on a carousel ride with regard to the existence of the squad.

(By Rawle Toney)