ASSISTANT coach and former captain of the Golden Jaguars, Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, has called for patience and positivity towards the national team programme, ahead of what is likely to be a “tough challenge” against Guatemala tomorrow. The Guyana senior national men’s team will take on the Central American nation in Florida in the preliminary round of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. It is the second consecutive appearance for Guyana’s men’s team at the Gold Cup, following their historic qualification in 2019.
“We all know Guatemala are a very good team in the Central American region and the Caribbean,” Pollard said in an extended interview with GFFNOW, the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) media channel. “It will be a tough challenge for us that I think every footballer should relish – young and old – because this is what we do. This is our game.”

Guatemala narrowly missed out on reaching the second round of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification in the CONCACAF region, on goals scored, despite putting 10 goals past St Vincent and the Grenadines and finishing on equal points with group winners Curacao.
Guatemala have pedigree at regional level, winning the CONCACAF Championship –the predecessor to the Gold Cup – in 1967 and reaching the Gold Cup quarter-finals as recently as 2011.
“We know it will be a tough game, but we are positive,” Pollard said. “The ball is round and anything can happen. We are preparing right but we have to believe as players and as staff.
“We are a Gold Cup team. We have proved ourselves in the Gold Cup. We went to the Gold Cup. We are not an ordinary team.”
The winners of tomorrow’s match will play either Guadeloupe or The Bahamas for a place in the final rounds of the 2021 Gold Cup..
Despite a disappointing World Cup qualification run, the Golden Jaguars have had a promising start to their preparations for the game against Guatemala.