… Sam Cox anxious for Soca Warriors encounter

AS Golden Jaguars get settled in Santo Domingo ahead of their March 25 clash against ‘Soca Warriors’, the team’s captain, Sam Cox, is expressing optimism of Guyana’s chances of advancing to the next stage of CONCACAF’s FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup Qualifiers.

Guyana are placed in Group F alongside their regional rivals, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, St Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico.
The team arrived in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and Cox, in an interview first aired on NCN Sport News, said they’re busy shaking off the rust of not playing any international football since their 1-1 draw with Jamaica on November 19, 2019.

Cox labelled the “unprecedented crisis with COVID-19,” as the reason for Golden Jaguars not lacing up their cleats on the international stage since their encounter with Jamaica at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, but added that “all the boys are excited about getting together”.

“The prospects of these World Cup qualifiers and the opportunity that presents itself in front of us are reasons why we’re all optimistic of the challenge ahead,” the UK-based defender said.
Dating back to their first meeting in 1978, Golden Jaguars roared 22 times against Trinidad and Tobago, losing 14 of those clashes, drawing six and walking away victorious twice.

Ironically, Guyana’s last victory against the Soca Warriors (2-1) came in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Ricky Shakes and former English Premier League defender Leon Cort found the nets at the Guyana National Stadium on November 11, 2011 to not only advance to the penultimate round of the CONCACAF leg of the qualifiers, to but also knock the Soca Warriors out of the qualifiers.

Guyana last faced Trinidad and Tobago in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup where the two sides ended the contest with an entertaining 1-1 draw, as Cox stated, “We know Trinidad are tough opponents; we have a rich history with them and we know they’re going to present a real challenge and we’re preparing ourselves for them.”
“We have two good fixtures; two fixtures that we’re looking to win, but we just have to prepare correctly. We have a few new faces in the squad and we have a good couple of weeks ahead of us,” the former Tottenham Hot Spurs defender lamented.

The UK Government’s travel restrictions on persons visiting Guyana, coupled with other logical arrangements that weren’t favourable to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), saw the Wayne Forde-led body decide to play their ‘home’ fixture against The Bahamas in the Dominican Republic. That match is set for March 30.

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t be in Guyana and interact with the fans but I know the fans will be there in spirit and we’re looking to make them proud as we always do,” said Cox.
Apart from Cox (Hampton & Richmond FC), the team will see UK-based Nathan Moriah-Welsh (AFC Bournemouth), Miguel Scarlett (unattached) and Bayli Spencer-Adams (Watford FC) make their International debut.

Terrence Vancooten (Stevenage FC), Mathew Briggs (Vijle Boldk), Callum Harriott (Colchester United), Emery Welshman (Hapoel Raanana), Keanu Marsh-Brown (Gloucester City FC), Akel Clarke (Mount Pleasant Academy), Kai McKenzie-Lyle (Cambridge United FC) and Kadell Daniel (Margate FC) are the other overseas-based players selected.

Kelsey Benjamin (Guyana Defence Force FC), Omari Glasgow (Fruta Conquerors), Ryan Hackett (Guyana Defence Force), Nicholas McArthur (Fruta Conquerors FC), Jeremy Garrett (Guyana Defence Force), Daniel Wilson (Guyana Police Force), Trayon Bobb (Uitvlugt Warriors), Pernell Schultz (Guyana Police Force FC), Nicolai Andrews (Santos FC) and Shawn Adonis (Guyana Police Force FC) are the local-based players selected.