THE Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s senior National Football team, are set to play their first match in the 2016/2017 Scotiabank CFU Caribbean Cup tonight against Anguilla, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.Guyana, according to head coach Jamaal Shabazz, will not be taking Anguilla for granted, though ranked the worst in the world (204) according to FIFA.

Shabazz called eight overseas-based players – Akel Clarke (Trinidad and Tobago), Neil Danns (England), Samuel Cox (England), Walter Moore (Finland), Brandon Beresford (USA), Christopher Nurse (Puerto Rico), Marcel Barrington (England) and Anthony Whyte (Canada).

Alex Murray (Alpha United FC), King Austin (Alpha United FC), Joshua Browne (Alpha United FC), Kester Jacobs (Slingerz FC), Eon Alleyne (Fruta Conquerors FC), Vurlon Mills (Slingerz FC), Gregory Richardson (Pele FC), Devon Millington (Slingerz FC), Daniel Wilson (Alpha United FC), Dwight Peters (Alpha United FC), Quincy Adams (Slingerz FC), Clive Nobrega (Slingerz FC), Les Charles Critchlow (Slingerz FC), Tichard Joseph (Slingerz FC) Trayon Bobb (Slingerz FC), Kanata Manning (Pele FC), and Delon Lanferman (Alpha United FC) are the other players, all based locally.

According to Shabazz, the final 18 for tonight’s game will be difficult to select, but highlighted that 70% of the players on the roster will come from those who compete locally in the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) STAG Elite League.

The last time the two teams played (1998), Guyana won 14-0. To date, it’s Anguilla’s largest margin of defeat but something captain Christopher Nurse said that his troops will not pay attention to.

Nurse said that both countries went through significant changes since then and that tonight’s game will be a test for Guyana; an important one as well, since the country is fighting for a place among the top flight of Caribbean Football.

Tickets are being sold at $1 500, VIP tickets at $5 000 and booths are being sold at $80 000. Cost of ticket includes the ability to have a maximum of 20 persons, 6 car passes and food and drinks being brought to the ground.

The competition, which is scheduled to take place during officially-sanctioned FIFA international match periods, giving Member Associations the opportunity to select their best possible teams, will kick off in March (21-29) with all of the countries except Haiti, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, who are all still participating in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Round two of the Championship is scheduled for May and Round three in October. The 5th Place playoff will take place in November and the finals in May 2017. The top four teams will qualify to the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Guyana, after tonight’s engagement, will travel to Puerto Rico for their second Group 5 match on March 29.