THE Guyana Golden Jaguars have ignited hopes of a return to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, securing a dramatic 3-2 victory over Guatemala in the first leg of their preliminary clash in Barbados on Friday night.

The jubilant following scenes, with players and management sharing the moment with fans, underscored the result’s significance.
Isaiah Jones, who plays for Luton Town in the English Football League, was the night’s hero, delivering a stunning hat-trick to propel Guyana to victory at the BFA Technical Centre in Bridgetown.

Guyana’s win has placed them in a strong position to qualify for the 2025 Gold Cup, but they must replicate their performance in the decisive second leg in Guatemala.
The match began with a bang, as Jones capitalised on a pinpoint through ball from Nathan Moriah-Welsh to open the scoring in the ninth minute.
Guatemala responded in the 29th minute through José Martínez, but Jones restored Guyana’s lead in the 36th minute before completing his hat-trick in the 56th.

Guatemala pulled a goal back in the 80th minute through a José Pinto penalty, but Guyana’s defence held firm to secure a crucial victory.
The victory is particularly significant given the disparity in rankings between the two sides. Guatemala, ranked ninth in CONCACAF, have a strong Gold Cup pedigree, having missed only six editions since 1963. Guyana, ranked 19th, qualified for the main draw in 2019 but has struggled in preliminary rounds since recent head-to-head records also favoured Guatemala, with victories of 3-1 in the Nations League and 4-0 in the 2021 Gold Cup preliminaries.

The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, March 25th, at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, with kick-off scheduled for 20:30 hours. The aggregate winner will advance to the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage.

With their incredible performance in Barbados, the Golden Jaguars have given themselves a real chance of qualifying for the Gold Cup. Now, all eyes are on the upcoming game in Guatemala.