… Golden Jaguars to face French Guiana in two-match friendly

WITH Guyana set to kick off their participation in this season’s CONCACAF Nations League on June 4 with an away game against Montserrat, Golden Jaguars travelled to French Guiana for a two-match friendly on April 16 and 18.

An all-local 22-man squad departed Guyana on Wednesday for the French territory, with coach Jamaal Shabazz telling Chronicle Sport, that the two matches present a “good opportunity to keep the core players that we’ve been working with active with a decent level of competition.”

“It also allows us to try out a couple of things we’ve been working on in training,” Shabazz further noted.
The last time the two countries faced each other was in 2018 during the qualification tournament for the Nations League, where French Guiana earned a 2-1 victory over Golden Jaguars, with Neil Danns scoring the team’s lone goal.

Shabazz said the tour also allows for continued rivalry between the two sides.

The team travelled by land, with their journey taking them through Suriname. Golden Jaguars coach called the movement gruelling, adding, “All Guyanese people know that trip to Suriname and then to Cayenne, but it’s going to build some character.”

“The degree of difficulty involved in making that long trek and then playing two matches … but we welcome it because it’s part of the preparation,” Shabazz said.

Ian Dooker (Guyana Defence Force) and Jemar Harrigan (Police FC) are the new faces on the team, while forward Osafo Simpson has earned a recall after being out of the team since FIFA World Cup qualifiers last year.
Defender Nicolai Andrews is back from injury, while U20 national midfielder Darron Niles returns after missing out on the friendly tournament in Trinidad.

In the absence of the squad’s veteran keepers, Shabazz selected two young goalkeepers in Sese Norville and Ronaldo Blair.
“Thus far, I love how the senior guys in the squad like Trayon Bobb, Quincy Adams, Jeremy Garrett and Daniel Wilson have stepped up,” Shabazz said. “I look forward to their leadership in these two matches.”
Drawn in Group B of League B of the CONCACAF Nations League, Guyana will come up against Haiti, Bermuda and Montserrat in home and away fixtures.

Following their away match on June 4 against the British overseas territory in Brades, Golden Jaguars will return home to face Bermuda on June 7 at the National Track and Field Centre.
Guyana will also play host to Haiti on June 11 and will travel to Port-au-Prince for a return clash against the Haitians on June 14.

The Golden Jaguars will roar once again in the Nations League on March 25, 2023, when they travel to Hamilton to face Bermuda.
Jamaal Shabazz and his troops will close their participation in the second edition of the Nations League with a home game against Montserrat on March 28, 2023.

The Squad: Goalkeepers – Ronaldo Blair and Sese Norville
Defenders – Jeremy Garrett, Quincy Adams, Marcus Wilson, Leo Lovell, Nicolai Andrews and Shemar Fraser
Midfielders – Daniel Wilson, Clive Nobrega, Job Caesar, Javier George, Darron Niles, Jemar Harrigan, Ryan Hackett.
Forwards – Trayon Bobb, Kelsey Benjamin, Ian Dooker, Jaminine Beckles, Jamal Perriera, Pernell Schultz and Osafo Simpson.
Staff: Jamaal Shabazz (head coach), Rawle Adams (team manager), Wayne Dover (assistant coach), Charles Pollard (assistant coach), Dylan Palmer (fitness coach), Dexter George (physiotherapist), Trevor Burnett (equipment manager), Keeron Tanner (video/IT technician).