GUYANA’S Senior National Men’s football team, popularly known as the Golden Jaguars, began preparation for their February 1 International Friendly against Barbados.The game will be played in the Land of the Flying Fish, and the Jaguars, behind Head coach Jamaal Shabazz, are aiming to send a strong message to the rest of the Caribbean that they are ready to roar once again.

With the FIFA 2018 Russia World Cup qualifiers set for June where the Jaguars will face St Vincent and Grenadines, it’s the hope of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) technical staff, to use the Barbados game to assess where they stand and what adjustments will be needed to face their regional rivals.
London-based Chris Nurse made a return the national unit for the first time since captaining the Jaguars during their historic run in the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifiers, while his teammate, Canadian Jamaal Smith also returned to don the ‘gold and green’.
Another Canadian, Emery Welshman, also arrived, aiming to make his debut for the Golden Jaguars. Welshman, 23, is a midfield player who played for Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit, Toronto FC.
Yesterday, at the Guyana National Stadium, under the supervision of Shabazz and his assistant Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover, the Golden Jaguars had their first practice session and will be encamped until their departure to Barbados on January 30.

(Rawle Toney)