By Santokie Nagulendran

IN keeping with their promise to arrange games every FIFA International window, it was announced earlier this month by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) that Guyana will face Martinique in a friendly game to be held on the 28th March 2017,at the MSC ground in Linden.
This is the first International game to be played in Linden in six years and the mining town will surely welcome the return.
While this is a friendly game, it is a valuable and critical test for Guyana.Their opponents Martinique, a French territory not affiliated to FIFA, maintained a 100% record in the 2017 Caribbean Cup qualifiers last year;a remarkable feat made all the more impressive when you consider they defeated Trinidad and Tobago, arguably the strongest team in the Caribbean, during that momentous run.
Notably, they only conceded two goals in their six qualifying games, a stark contrast to Guyana: in Guyana’s six qualifying games they conceded twelve goals. This game will therefore be a challenge for Guyana;can they infiltrate the strongest defense in Caribbean football whilst preventing their opponents from scoring?
Martinique have qualified for the 2017 Caribbean Cup and 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup;a remarkable feat for such a small island.They have qualified for five Gold Cups in total, and will use the game against Guyana as preparation for their important tournaments later this year. It is a significant coup for Guyana to have managed to attract such a high-calibre side to Guyana to compete.
The last time these sides met was in 2012, and the game finished 2-2, with Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams and Dwight Peters netting the goals for Guyana. Fast-forward to 2017 and Martinique have an abundance of talent in their squad, spear-headed by former Real Madrid midfield player Julian Faubert, supported by prolific striker Kevin Parsemain, whilst winger Langill, who plays for Legia Warsaw in Poland, compliments the fearsome attack. Martinique have yet to confirm their squad, but it will likely be made up predominantly of local-based players from leading clubs ‘’Golden Lion’’ and ‘’Colonial’’.
Striker Kevin Parsemain, who plays for Golden Lions, has had stints abroad, playing in France and later on at Seattle Sounders in USA. Now back to playing football in Martinique, he has a terrific scoring record for his country, netting 24 goals in 38 games. He is the player Guyana needs to contain to have any hopes of victory in this battle.

Since Jamaal Shabazz resigned in November 2016, no replacement Head Coach has been announced yet for Guyana, although that decision must be made imminently.
Wayne Dover, who has been Assistant Coach for the national team with Jamaal Shabazz, must surely be the favourite to take over. Due to the withdrawal of four clubs from the Stag Elite League, there was an exodus of players from the league into association football, and thus, the likes of Colin Nelson, Trayon Bobb, Devon Millington, Delon Lanferman, Kester Jacobs and Hubert Pedro will all be in contention for call-ups despite not featuring in the Elite League.
Players from GDF, Fruta Conquerors and Victoria Kings will also be strong contenders to be called up to the squad based on their team’s respective performances in the first half of the Elite League. 17-year-old Jeremy Garrett of Fruta Conquerors could come into the team due to his strong performances in the League Leaders competition which concluded last week, while veteran Anthony Abrams also could play to add experience. GDF’s Delwyn Fraser has been exceptional as central midfielder for the undefeated club side this season, and has therefore also pressed a strong claim to make the side.
It will also be interesting to see what the overseas composition of the team will be .Will overseas-based players be called up? Vurlon Mills has had recent success for Trinidad and Tobago side San Juan Jabloteh in the CFU Club Championships, while Daniel Wilson and Quincy Adams are currently enjoying stints in Suriname.
With finances usually restricting the recruitment of USA and European-based players for friendly games in the Caribbean, it seems unlikely that the likes of Neil Danns, Sam Cox, Brandon Beresford and Kai Mckenzie-Lyle will feature, meaning it is an opportunity for local players to step up and pose a significant challenge to one of the strongest teams in the region.
The game is also a significant milestone for the town of Linden, Martinique are the first international side to visit since Barbados came and lost 1-0 in 2011, while it also presents an opportunity to once again play in a town which has such a rich footballing history. Just as importantly, it will also be a big game for Guyana’s Golden Jaguars, who will be looking to roar back to life against a rampant Martinique side.