… Golden Jaguars battle Haiti today at Leonora

DATING back to their first meeting in senior men’s International football in 1973, Guyana have never beaten Haiti – something coach Jamaal Shabazz is hoping to change when the two sides meet today, from 16:00hrs, at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora.

It will be the third match for both teams in the 2022-2023 CONCACAF Nations League, but it’s the Golden Jaguars who sit atop Group B of League B with six points, while the Haitians are second in the standings with four.
Guyana will enter today’s encounter on back-to-back wins, coming against Montserrat (2-1) and Bermuda (2-1). Haiti, however, had played to a goalless stalemate against Bermuda, followed by a 3-2 victory over Montserrat.

“This is a huge game for us, especially since Guyana have never beaten Haiti. So it provides an opportunity for us to get a victory over a Caribbean giant,” Shabazz said in the pre-game comment ahead of a colossal fixture.

It has been exactly 10 years since the Golden Jaguars were defeated 0-1 by Haiti and according to Shabazz, chasing history will be an uphill task, adding “of course, we’ll have to work hard because it’s not going to be in any way an easy match. But I can say that where we lack in quality, we will make up for it with a big heart and strong desire.”

In contrast, Haiti are the Caribbean’s 10th-ranked team in the CONCACAF ranking. They have a global ranking of 90 in contrast to Guyana’s 174.

“We have tremendous respect for Haiti, but this is our doorstep and we have to deal with them here. I’m confident the spirit of the team has that fight to match the Haitians’ at home. We want to encourage them to come out and support the team, but, if they can’t come, send some good vibes,” Shabazz said.

Shabazz was mum about the team’s composition likely to face Haiti. However, given the show of depth in the roster against Bermuda, it would be interesting to see what the Trinidadian coach comes up with to match the pace and tactical ability of the Haitians.

Haiti were relegated from League A, where they had finished at the bottom of Group D. They have so far shown their superiority in League B, despite not finding the net against Montserrat.
Guyana, on the other hand, had finished second behind Jamaica in the inaugural Nations League and after two matches they remained in contention for winning the group.

Shabazz now has the services of Forge FC’s striker, Emery Welshman, who joined the team after Guyana had beaten Montserrat. He came on as a second-half substitute against Bermuda.

Welshman has been clinical for Guyana over the years, scoring in crucial moments as well. Fans will be excited to see Welshman pairing with once against 18-year-old sensation Omari Glasgow, along with Torell Ondaan and Trayon Bobb.

Glasgow is competing for Major League Soccer (MLS) side, Chicago Fire, in the MLS Next Pro League, scoring twice in his three outings.
He has been impressive for Guyana since his suiting up for the Senior National Team for the first match against The Bahamas, in the Golden Jaguars’ run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

The diminutive, but nifty forward, scored on debut and followed that up with two goals against Barbados
With his double against Montserrat and single strike against Bermuda at home, Glasgow now has six International goals in nine outings.

Bobb had found the back of the net for the opening goal with a left-footed finish in Guyana’s 2-1 win against Bermuda, which also turned out to be the fifth CONCACAF Nations League goal for the 28-year-old, who is the top scorer for the Golden Jaguars in the competition’s history.

One thing is certain, fans will be in for a treat and Shabazz is encouraging supporters to flood the Leonora Facility with yellow in support of the Golden Jaguars.
Following today’s game, Haiti will host Guyana in the Dominican Republic on June 14.

Guyana will afterwards travel to Hamilton on March 25, 2023, to face Bermuda.
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.
According to CONCACAF, the Nations League will serve as the qualifier for the 2023 Gold Cup.