… Cox, Maximo make rallying call for support ahead of 2022 World Cup Qualifiers

THE battle lines have been drawn and the Golden Warriors are ready to go to war with regional rivals, Trinidad and Tobago, tonight from 19:00hrs in the Dominican Republic. The battle call was made by coach Marcio Maximo and captain Sam Cox, who told the media at a press conference yesterday, that they are leaving everything on the pitch when the two nemeses clash in their opening FIFA World Cup Qualifying fixture.
Guyana are placed in Group F of the CONCACAF qualifiers alongside Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, St Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico.
The team arrived in the Dominican Republic one week ahead of their opening fixture and captain Sam Cox said they have all settled-in ready to return to the pitch for the first time since their 1-1 draw with Jamaica on November 19, 2019.
Dating back to their first meeting in 1978, the Golden Jaguars roared 22 times against Trinidad and Tobago, losing 14 of those clashes, drawing six and walking away victorious twice.

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.
Though the composition of Trinidad’s team has not seen any significant changes as compared to their team that faced Guyana in Kansas City, USA almost two years ago, Maximo believes that the playing style of Soca Warriors head coach and former England International Terry Fenwick is the game changer.
While Maximo didn’t give any information with regard to what Golden Jaguars will look like tonight, he was adamant that speed, quickness and physicality will be the order of the game. “That’s why we changed some players to put in more speed, more objective, because in our view of the Guyanese players, our players are fast and you should make a system for them to adapt. But I can say that we have a very good team and we will give a good performance,” Maximo said.
Meanwhile, though having 24 outings for Guyana since his debut in 2015, Cox would have only faced Trinidad and Tobago twice; both games ended in a 1-1 draw.
Noting the year-long battle in the TTFA administration, the installation of a Normalisation Committee to oversee the affairs of the game on the island, Cox pointed to the vast experience in the Soca Warriors camp, but was also quick to point out Guyana’s advantage of youth.

“We’ve done a bit on the board and video analyst on their game but our strengths are going to be our speed and tactical understanding. We’ve got something up our sleeve, we’ve made some changes from the last camp … but it’s going to be a highly competitive game and we’re ready to go to war against Trinidad and Tobago,” the UK-based skipper said. 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 locally-based players selected.
The UK Government’s travel restrictions on persons visiting Guyana, coupled with other logical arrangements that were not 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.