GUYANA, having been reduced to 10 men in just ten minutes of play, fell 1-0 to Suriname Friday evening, when the two sides met at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium in Paramaribo. It was Guyana’s fourth International Friendly of the year and the Golden Jaguars entered the contest undefeated in their three previous matches against one of their biggest rivals in the sport.
“It is never easy playing with ten men in an International game, especially losing a man so early and playing away from home,” head coach Jamaal Shabazz said, following his side’s defeat to Suriname – their first since 2008.
The goal which was scored in the 29th minute by Gregory Rigters came after Guyana were reduced to 10 men due to midfield player Clive Nobrega being sent off.
Nobrega in a challenge for a loose ball collided with Suriname’s Miguel Cronie and the Surinamese playmaker suffered a broken leg as a result of the tackle and the referee thought it was a wilful act, though the crowd thought otherwise.
Nothing was the same for Guyana after then. Suriname controlled the pace of the game but the Jaguars had sporadic moments of their own, creating at least four clear goal-scoring chances.
Shabazz started with Akel Clarke between the uprights, defenders Colin Nelson, King Solomon Austin, Kris Camacho and Adrian Butters while Konata Manning, Vurlon Mills, Nobrega and Dwain Jacobs balanced out the midfield; upfront, Shabazz went with Sheldon Holder and Pernel Schultz
Mills had the game’s first shot on target, using his superior speed, down the right wing, released a shot to goal that went mere inches over the crossbar.
Clarke’s brilliance in goal saved Guyana from suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of their Dutch foes as the Central FC keeper was first called into play when Giovanni Waal teamed up with Rigters in a combo play that saw Suriname come close to target.
A few minutes later, Mills picked the pocket of a Suriname player on the wing but his rocket right-footed shot went to the side of the net.
Jacobs was a millisecond late on his reaction, trying to put a foot on a ball that was sent in from Schultz in the 18th minute that could have equalised.
Schultz and Holder had at least three chances. If the two had better coordination upfront, they could have scored on three occasions.
Holder collected a through ball from Schultz in the 21st minute – 24th minute, but the Alpha United player, going one-on-one with the Surinamese keeper, saw his shot trickle inches away from the last post after beating the keeper.
The referee was blamed for Suriname’s lone goal. A ball which was cleared ricocheted off his leg; completely deceiving the Guyanese defenders who were already heading in the other direction and Rigters volleyed in a rocket that beat an outstretched Clarke.
Two minutes before the stroke of halftime, Schultz could’ve equalised or at least set up the goal for Holder, had he not selfishly taken a poor shot on goal.
In the second half, Shabazz made several changes to help keep his unbeaten record intact but fate would have it otherwise.
Cheered on by scores of Guyanese supporters, some of whom had journeyed to the neighbouring country just for the game, Guyana tried to clinch an equalising goal and Eon Alleyne’s shot in the closing seconds of the game that grazed the crossbar was the last straw for Shabazz’s men to grab one.

By Rawle Toney in Suriname