Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz said yesterday that the team’s main objective for the impending away international friendly on February 1 against Caribbean Football Union (CFU) rival Barbados is to emerge victorious.
Shabazz, who was at the helm of the national setup on two previous occasions, created history when he oversaw the local unit’s record setting FIFA World Cup 2014 campaign in his previous stint.
The local side under the stewardship of the Trinidadian, qualified for the CONCACAF semi-finals of World Cup a first in their history. They would also go onto achieve a FIFA ranking of 90th under the Trinidadian. Guyana’s current ranking is 167th.
Speaking to Stabroek Sports subsequent to the team’s training session at the National Stadium in Providence, yesterday he said: “We have to get a result. We are going with a strong intention to get a result because this is what we want to do get our minds to know that we have ambition.
“I can only talk about that. After the game we can talk about what happen but for now we’re preparing to get a result. No excuses. We have time on the clock to prepare and we’re going to get that win.”
Asked to compare his current stint to his previous spells with the national side, he said: “I’m not trying to get involved with who was in charge and that sort of thing but the thing gone very far back because Guyana has not been playing enough on the international days.”
The Caledonia AIA chief made a comparison between Guyana and Trinidad.
“Let’s look at Trinidad. Guyana beat Trinidad in 2011. What did Trinidad do from that disaster? They picked themselves up, played on every friendly international date. They didn’t have any money so they begged, borrowed and tried to get matches for the team and now they’re up in the FIFA ranking. Now they got a bye to the semi-finals stage (2018 World Cup Qualifiers)”.
“Guyana who reached further than Trinidad (2014 World Cup qualifiers), in two years did nothing but argue about the constitution, about who should host tournaments, who should be in charge and who do don’t like who and who is suffering now? Guyana’s football.
“All the people who have fuelled this division and this disunity, how do they feel now to see where we were then to where we are today. I am by no means a savior because the effort that we made is always a collective one and it really burns you in your heart to know that the effort the country made to get us where we were and the people who took the baton just dropped it on the floor.”
Questioned about the status of squad’s preparation, he said: “We have seen a good effort from the players, of course fitness is a concern but where we’re lacking in that area, we’re making up for it in enthusiasm. It’s a good bunch, good attitude and we have absolutely no problem with the guys in the squad.”
The final composition of the team is expected to be selected shortly while the departure date for Barbados is expected to be on Friday.
