IMPROBABLE, but not impossible is the task ahead for the country’s senior men’s national team – the Golden Jaguars – in their quest to qualify for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, following their 2-1 defeat to French Guiana in the November 20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifier tournament.

Jules Haabo netted on both sides of the half for French Guiana, while Guyana’s lone goal came from captain Neil Danns in a result which changed the tide for both teams; in the case of Guyana, for the worse.

The win pushed French Guiana (six points) to 11th on the 34-team standing; one spot out of qualification, while Guyana (four points) drifted five places out (15th).

Guyana will play Belize on March 23, 2019 at the Leonora Track and Field Centre in a game head coach Michael Johnson said the result will be crucial and only a win will give them a chance of reach the Gold Cup’.

“We have one more bite at the cherry,” Johnson said in a statement sent to the media by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

“We have to win our last game to stand any chance of qualifying, we need to do our bit in the hope that results will go our way. We are still in the competition. We need the home support to come to the national stadium in your colours in support of a team that need your help in winning this game.”

Few things will have to happen for Guyana to stand a chance of joining Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Honduras and the USA at the 2019 June 15-July 7 event, and that doesn’t include a miracle.

Curacao (1), Haiti (2), Cuba (3), Canada (4), Jamaica (5) and Martinique (6) are the top six teams in the tournament, having picked up full points from their three matches played.

Bermuda (7), St Kitts and Nevis (8), Dominican Republic (9) and Nicaragua (10) are the other teams in the top ten; all having six points, picking one loss from three games.

Guyana are positioned behind French Guiana (11), their next opponents Belize (12), El Salvador (13) and Montserrat (14) who are all on six points and the results from their next game will determine Johnson’s future.

Meanwhile, in a frank and honest assessment of the performance in Cayenne, Johnson singled out a poor start to the match, stating “we were not at the races in the first half and we conceded poor goals.

“We didn’t start playing until an hour into the game. The fitness level of players is a real concern. My experiences as an international player for Jamaica put me in a unique position to understand how players feel and how it impacts them.”

However, he picked out battling performances from 18-year-old Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder Elliot Bonds and skipper Neil Danns as “a credit to the team” and expressed sympathy for the squad.

Wayne Forde, president of the GFF, thanked the players and coaching staff for “giving their all and doing their best. It was a heart-breaking and disappointing result that leaves our Gold Cup dreams in the balance. However, while we still have a slim chance of qualifying, we must remain positive.”