WAYNE Dover, head coach of Guyana’s National U-20 Men’s team, has named a 26-man provisional squad as Guyana prepare for their first match of the CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship against Guatemala on November 2 at IMG Academy, Florida, USA.

The all Guyana-based players squad will include four goalkeepers, seven defenders, 11 midfielders and four forwards. Two of the forwards were selected from the recently-concluded Indigenous Heritage Games.

In an invited comment, Dover said training commenced last Sunday with physical evaluation of the players, adding that “the week began with physical evaluation of the players to test the level of fitness of players.

“Our aim as a staff is to qualify and we made it clear to the players the level of discipline, dedication, commitment and hard work that is required to achieve the objective. The teams in the group are very tough on paper but we all know that the matches are played on the field, and every team have a chance to win and qualify once they apply themselves.”

“During the Indigenous Heritage Games, we did some scouting and identified two talent, who will add strength to the U-20 national programme,” said the head coach.

Neston Brown and David Coates, both from the Rupununi Football Association, will join the team in the new week.

“Brown is a left full back, a position which has slowly become a dying breed in Guyana. He possesses qualities, which once harnessed properly can see him become a senior national player who can perform as (Walter) Moore and (Chris) Bourne did with distinction.

Coates, on the other hand, has demonstrated qualities as a forward, which can match the talent we have seen in the past such as Gregory Richardson. We will nurture them to realise their potential,” Dover said.

Guyana were drawn in Group F of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Under-20 Championship, scheduled to take place November 1-21, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA.

A record 34 CONCACAF Member Associations will participate in the tournament and, unlike the previous format which included regional qualifiers in the Caribbean and Central America and one final championship, this year’s redesigned competition will ensure that all the participating teams have access to play more top-level football matches.

Guyana will open the tournament against Guatemala on November 2, followed by an encounter with Cayman Islands on November 6 then a clash with Curacao on November 8. The Guyanese will close off their group stage against El Salvador on November 10.

SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Sese Norville (Milerock), Jermaine Cumberbatch (Den Amstel FC) and Denzil Smith (Eagles FC). Defenders: Cecil Jackman (Fruta Conquerors), Nixon Robertson (Buxton United FC), Javier Smith (Milerock FC), Rishawn Ritch (Fruta Conquerors), Neston Brown (Rupununi FA) and Kevin Padmore (Grove Hi-Tech FC).

Midfielders: Ryan Dowding (Santos FC), Brentsley Allicock (Milerock FC), Stefan Reynolds (Flamingo FC), Nicolas McArthur (Fruta Conquerors), Ryan Hackett (Fruta Conquerors), Job Caesar (Fruta Conquerors), Kelsey Benjamin (Western Tigers), Chris Macey (Den Amstel FC), Tyrese Forde (Santos

FC), Andre Mayers (Capital FC) and Rondel Peters (GFC).

Forwards: Leon Richardson (Fruta Conquerors FC), Adrian Aaron (Camptown FC), Dwayne Robeiro (Milerock FC) and David Coates (Rupununi FC).