By Rawle Toney

THE Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, will for the first time since November 29, 2010, take on Antigua and Barbuda, when the CONCACAF Nations League (League B) matches continue today at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Kick-off time is 17:00hrs.

Both teams picked up a win and a loss from their two games played so far and have secured three points, but it is the Golden Jaguars who currently sit behind the undefeated ‘Reggae Boyz’ with a superior gold difference (-3) over the ‘Benna Boys’ (-5).

Guyana had opened their Nations League (League B, Group C) campaign with a 1-0 win over Aruba, but were humbled by Jamaica (0-4) in their second match, played at the National Track and Field Centre at home.

Antigua and Barbuda, on the other hand, got off to a rough start when they went down 0-6 to the ‘Reggae Boyz’, but bounced back to edge Aruba 2-1, setting up a crucial encounter in Antigua and Barbuda today.

“For me the team is coming good; after we arrived we had a good session with the players on Tuesday and we also trained on Wednesday and I think that they have all held well so far and are focussed on the task,” Jaguars head coach Marcio Maximo.

The Brazilian will have the services of Hull City’s Elliot Bonds, Margate FC’s Kadell Daniel, Hapoel Haifa FC’s Emery Welshman and Trayon Bobb, who all missed Golden Jaguars’ encounters against Aruba and Jamaica.

Alex Murray, Akel Clarke and Sese Norville are the goalkeepers in the team, while Matthew Briggs, captain Samuel Cox, Kevin Layne, Sherwin Skeete, Raphael Edwards and Kevin Dundas are the defenders.

Neil Danns will have Delwin Fraser, Clive Nobrega, Ryan Hackett and Daniel Wilson in the midfield, while Welshman and Holder will partner with Keanu Marsh-Brown, Bobb and Pernel Shultz up front.

Meanwhile, looking ahead to today’s game, Maximo noted that the players “understand our tactical approach for this game.  Antigua are a very physical team and we should be smart to use our strategy well, to win the game. We are very optimistic as we look forward to our international players blending well with the local players to do us well; I think we can take a win on Friday (today).”

The last time Antigua and Barbuda faced Guyana, the Benna Boys walked away 1-0 winners thanks to a 69th minute goal from Gayson Gregory, during the Golden Jaguars’ CFU Caribbean Cup tournament. In fact, since their 2006, 6-0 win, Guyana went on to lose four consecutive games to Antigua.

Guyana will host Antigua in a return leg on Monday, October 14, at the National Track and Field Centre.