… drawn in Group C of Caribbean Shield tournament

REIGNING Elite League champions, Fruta Conquerors, are calling on the “generous support” of corporate Guyana as the club begin the build-up to their 2021 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield campaign.
Fruta Conquerors have been drawn in Group C against St Vincent and the Grenadines side Hope International FC and SV Racing Club of Aruba in the competition which will kick off on April 23 in Willemstad, Curacao.

“This is a great draw for us and we are confident that the team can make Guyana proud at the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield this year,” said Fruta Conquerors president Colin Gittens. “But we cannot do this alone. We are kindly requesting the generous support of corporate Guyana to help us fulfil this dream as we strive to represent the Golden Arrowhead with pride and honour on the Caribbean stage.”

“This undertaking places considerable financial demands on the club, from travel to training. We would very much welcome the help of existing and new corporate partners as we prepare for this prestigious tournament,” Gittens said.

The four winners of the Shield’s group stages will progress to the semi-final stage with the final and third-place matches scheduled for Sunday, May 2.
The winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, if compliant with CONCACAF Regional Club Licensing criteria, will advance to a play-off against the fourth-placed team from the 2021 Flow CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship to compete for a spot in the Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

According to Gittens, members of the Tucville-based club are “determined to deliver a significant improvement on our performances from last time. The players and staff are fully focussed on showcasing the true nature of their talent and showing the Caribbean region that Guyanese club football can be a real force to be reckoned with now and in the future.”
Due to the impact of the pandemic, Fruta Conquerors will represent Guyana in the competition as champions of the 2019 Elite League season, when they finished the season unbeaten with a perfect record of nine wins.

The Tucville-based team competed in the 2019 edition of the Caribbean tournament, finishing the group stage with one draw and two losses.
“We are working hard to build our brand for the future so that the club and partners can fully capitalise on the future professionalisation of football in Guyana,” he said.