GUYANA’S National U-17 football team are aiming to end their Group four campaign today against Antigua and Barbuda on a winning note after losing the opening match to Jamaica. The game is considered the most crucial of the group competition being staged in St Thomas, USVI and will determine who are the 2nd placed team of the four-team group.
Both teams lost to Jamaica and defeated the USVI, but the young ‘Benna Boys’ have a superior goal difference (+2) to the young Golden Jaguars (-2) who just managed a 1-0 win over the home team whom the ‘Benna Boys’ disposed of 5-1. The Antiguans went under 1-3 to Jamaica while Guyana were defeated 1-4; so a draw today will put the ‘Benna Boys’ in 2nd position.
The must-win situation for the young Jaguars is one that the management and coaching staff feel is achievable having watched the Antiguans play. The key to winning today, according to head coach Anthony Stephens, is ‘sticking to the game plan and converting our scoring chances’.
“The boys are ready for the challenge and confident of the win. I expect them to give their best so at the end we finish second in the group and have a chance of advancing to the next round,” Stephens told Chronicle Sport via the telephone, during a final light training session yesterday afternoon.
Coach Stephens added that the team’s only player not fully fit for today’s action is left back Cosmos De Santos, who is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained in the opening game against Jamaica.
Today’s match at the Lionel Roberts Stadium will kick off at 14:30hrs after which the home team will play Jamaica in the final match of the group in the CFU’s World Cup Preliminary Competition. (Ras Wadada)