THE Golden Jaguars’ March 25 Qatar World Cup Qualifying clash with Trinidad and Tobago, which was scheduled to be played in the Twin Island Republic, will now be played in the Dominican Republic.
This decision comes after the Dr Keith Rowley-led Government’s Ministry of Health (MOH) chief medical officer (CMO), Dr Roshan Parasram, ruled that a proposal by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) fell short of local COVID-19 regulations.
The Ministry of Health’s protocol and guidelines mandate 14 days quarantine for anyone entering the country and according to the TTFA, “this condition is not feasible given the FIFA international match window and the MOH has declined the TTFA’s request of an exemption to facilitate a hot-bubble which would allow members of both teams, including staff, to arrive within a suitable time period conducive to international football.”

The TTFA said they have been working closely with CONCACAF, FIFA and the country’s government, to find a solution, but the MOH refused to flaunt their COVID-19 protocols to accommodate the Soca Warriors’ start of their journey to the Middle East.
“However, we do understand the responsibilities of the MOH and appreciate the efforts that they are making to preserve the safety of the citizens of our country. While the decision is a bitter pill to swallow, we believe that sport and the positive mental health aspects of sports must not be undervalued and applaud the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for allowing outdoor recreational sports to resume,” the TTFA said.
Barbados will be playing their home game in the Dominican Republic after Barbados Football Association (BFA) similarly, could not have gotten approval from their government to play home matches in the ‘Land of the Flying Fish’.
Suriname will also play their home games on the Spanish-speaking Island at the Pan American Stadium in San Cristobal.

Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat are set to face-off in the US Virgin Islands, while St Vincent and the Grenadines will use Curaçao for their home games.
Meanwhile, with Guyana set to host Barbados (March 30) and Puerto Rico (June 8), it will be interesting to see if the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will get the necessary approval from the National COVID-19 task force.
While they would’ve gotten the green-light to host their Year-End Bounce Back tournament in collaboration with the Kashif and Shanghai Organization, the GFF did not get any favours from the National Task Force for the resumption of the Elite League.
Under strict COVID-19 Guidelines, the GFF was able to receive the Task Force’s blessings for the return to training for the Golden Jaguars players.
The Golden Jaguars were drawn in Group F of the Qualifier alongside Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico and St Kitts & Nevis.
Guyana last faced Trinidad and Tobago during the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where, despite a beautiful goal scored by Neil Danns, the two sides ended the match with a 1-1 draw.