WITH a spot at 2019 at stake, Guyana’s senior men’s National team, the ‘Golden Jaguars’, will roar into action tonight from 18:30hrs in Cayenne against French Guiana in their third match of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Buoyed by the return of their experienced players who had missed the side’s 8 – 0 win against Turks and Caicos last month, the Michael Johnson-coached side will be hoping to take full advantage of the Frenchmen’s sour form and return to Guyana with an important win.

Guyana, apart from their win over theTurks and Caicos, had opened the CONCACAF Nations League with a 2 – 2 draw against Barbados, with goals from Bury FC’s Neil Danns and local talisman, Trayon Bobb.

However, for French Guiana, they fell 1 – 0 to St Vincent and the Grenadines, but rebounded to beat Anguilla 5 – 0.

Currently, Guyana is in 14th position on the 34-team table with four points while French Guiana is six places adrift.

“We’re looking forward to the game,” Johnson said, whose team has never qualified for the Gold Cup, while French Guiana had made their debut at the CONCACAF showpiece in 2017.

The former Jamaican International stated that French Guiana is “formidable opposition,” adding “we know that they did well in the first game, but didn’t do well in their second game. But they are quite formidable at home, so we would love to go there, give them their respect, but not be fearful. But be aware that this is obviously important to them because they need to get something from it. We need to be guarded, not fearful, but we’re ready for the game, we’re looking forward to it, we know what’s at stake.”

Eighteen-year-old Dagenham & Redbridge’s midfielder Elliot Bonds has received his first call- up to the Golden Jaguars and will play alongside the likes of Walter Moore, Colin Nelson and Marcel Barrington who are all making a return to the National team.

Bonds plays in England’s National League – the fifth tier of English football. The squad includes US-based striker, Emery Welshman, whose FC Cincinnati team will play Major League Soccer in 2019, along with Bury FC’s Captain Neil Danns.

The top 10 will qualify for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, while the top six will qualify for Concacaf Nations League A alongside the United States, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras. Teams placed 7th to 22nd will compete in Concacaf Nations League B.

After the important clash with French Guiana, Guyana will play their final qualification against Belize at Leonora Stadium on March 23rd 2019.

Goalkeepers: Kai McKenzie-Lyle and Akel Clarke.

Defenders: Terence Vancooten, Sam Cox, Kevin Layne, Kevin Dundas, Jake Newton, Walter Moore, Colin Nelson and Ronayne Marsh-Brown.

Midfield: Neil Danns, Elliot Bonds, Brandon Beresford, Anthony Benfield, Daniel Wilson and Stephen Duke-McKenna.

 Forwards: Emery Welshman, Marcel Barrington, Trayon Bobb, Kadell Daniel and Sheldon Holder.