GUYANA’s quest of another appearance at the CONCACAF Gold Cup will have to wait a little longer, after the Confederation announced the cancellation of all qualifying matches, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At CONCACAF the welfare of everyone associated with our matches and competitions is of paramount importance to us. We have been closely monitoring the public health situation as it has been evolving in the U.S. and across the entire region,” CONCACAF said in a statement yesterday.

The release stated that given the developments, including new guidance issued by countries, cities and states, they have the decision to suspend all football with immediate effect, as they continue to discuss arrangements for other upcoming CONCACAF competitions and will make a further public statement in due course.

The Golden Jaguars were set to roar against Barbados in the Land of the Flying Fish on March 24, followed by a return leg at the National Track and Field Centre on March 31.

The winners of that encounter will go on to face Trinidad and Tobago for a chance to feature at CONCACAF’s flagship tournament in 2021.

Major League Soccer (MLS) also suspended its season for 30 days, while U.S. Soccer cancelled all men’s and women’s national team matches through the end of April.

The NBA suspended their season on Wednesday night following two of the league’s players testing positive for the virus.

European football had already been greatly impacted, with many games being played behind closed doors before Serie A halted their season. (Rawle Toney)