THE Golden Jaguars will be well-prepared and ready to beat Belize in their crucial final CONCACAF Nations League/Gold Cup qualifier at home on Saturday, March 23, according to head coach Michael Johnson at the conclusion of his 10-day training and assessment trip.

A win for Guyana should guarantee qualification to the Gold Cup for the first time in the history of the senior men’s team. Performing at the premier regional tournament will represent a huge boost for the development of football and the nation, offering an international platform for players and national investment.

“I believe this is our time. We have a really good run at making sure the players are tactically, technically and mentally prepared,” Johnson said during his visit. “We will be where we should be, come game time. We are on the road.”
“(Assistant coach) Charles Pollard is doing a great job, as is (GFF fitness expert) Wilson Toledo – so I’m very confident that we will be ready for the game, come March 23. We have 100 percent total belief in what we are going to do.”

Pointing to factors behind the recent 2-1 defeat to French Guiana, Johnson said special attention was being paid to ensuring the final squad will be psychologically fit to cope with the pressures of one of the biggest games in the history of Guyanese football.

“Everybody talks about technique and tactics, but if you are not mentally prepared, sometimes your body shuts down in the heat of the moment,” he said. “I’ve played in the Gold Cup so I’d like to share my experiences of those big-time occasions with the players, but also to try to take the sting out of it.”

“It’s important that the staff absorb all that pressure around the game and allow the players to concentrate. You have to play the game, not the occasion.”
Former Jamaica international and Premier League defender, Johnson, enjoyed a long and successful career playing for clubs such as Derby County and Birmingham City in the higher echelons of the British football pyramid. He has since completed the UEFA Pro coaching licence – the highest coaching qualification in football.

Guyana currently lie in eighth place on six points in the CONCACAF qualification table, with Belize in 13th position. After the forthcoming round, the top ten teams will join the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago in the 15th edition of the Gold Cup, which takes place between June 15 and July 7.

A Guyana-based selection of 26 players is currently participating in an 8-week training schedule at the GFF National Training Centre in Providence and Space Gym in Georgetown. International-based Golden Jaguars will become available for national team training when the FIFA international window opens on March 18.

Johnson and his team will select a final match squad of 23 players one week before the match.

GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood said every player in the current set up had a chance to make the final squad.

“It is ultimately up to the players to play themselves into the squad,” he said. “There is no quota on the number of international and local-based players. We are looking for the strongest 23 players who can get us over the line against Belize. It is up to the players – the pathway is there for them.”

Johnson said he was confident that Guyana had the talent, strategy and platform to succeed at the regional level.

“We have seen that we can score goals against anyone. We are a threat. We have got players who, at the top of their game, are a threat to anyone in the CONCACAF region,” he said.
“Because of the work that the technical director has done and the president as well Guyanese football is in a great place. You look at the training facilities, you look at the U-15s; you look at the work across the coaches to help deliver the messages to the football clubs; the referees. Behind the scenes is a very solid background. What has probably not been there before is that solid background. So I really believe we are in a good place.”

HOPING FOR PROVIDENCE
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has requested the use of the national stadium at Providence for the Golden Jaguar’s final CONCACAF qualifier against Belize on March 23, according to GFF technical director Ian Greenwood.

The venue for the match has yet to be confirmed, with both Providence and Leonora seen as possible options for the clash, which could see Guyana qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time in the history of the senior men’s team.

“We are really hoping this match will be played at the national stadium in Providence,” Greenwood said. “It is the Guyana national team – it is going to be the greatest day in Guyana’s footballing history, when we beat Belize and qualify for Gold Cup. Providence is a great central location and really fits the importance of the occasion. We want to fill that stadium with Guyanese cheering on the Golden Jaguars.”

“The correspondence is with the government to secure the venue, and we are hoping for a positive response from them. It will make all the difference for this special occasion. I think everyone sees this event as a matter of huge importance not just for football, but for the nation as a whole.”

Golden Jaguars head coach Michael Johnson supported the call for the match to be played at Providence.

“Playing at the stadium is really important, so as soon as we can get the green light for the national stadium, the better for all parties,” Johnson said. “It will allow us to really maximise the opportunity of this big match.”