Overseas blow!

— English quartet Matthew Briggs, Marcel Barrington, Sam Cox and Neil Danns out of today’s World Cup Qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines

Guyana has been dealt a severe blow before the start of their 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Opener today as four players were unable to travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines due to the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) inability to acquire their Guyanese citizenship from the government.

The four overseas-born players that were unable to travel are English quartet Matthew Briggs, Marcel Barrington, Sam Cox and Neil Danns.

Due to their inability to acquire citizenship, the aforesaid players will be replaced by Chris Camacho, Kevin Beaton and Pernel Schultz in the squad for today’s fixture.

According to an official press release from the GFF “The approval of citizenship for the players is now in the hands of newly appointed.

Marcel Barrington
Marcel Barrington
Matthew Briggs
Matthew Briggs

Attorney General Basil Williams. Following consultation with Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix, it was recommended that the matter be looked at by the Attorney General who would further advise on the processing of the documents. “The aforementioned players qualify to represent Guyana through their grandparents; something that’s not unique in sport and is not an isolation actuality as in the case of the Golden Jaguars,” the release added.

“In fact, a number of Guyana’s female women football team members, popularly known as the ‘Lady Jags’, have all qualified to represent Guyana at the world stage through their grandparents and had done so with outstanding success, following their participation at the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup in Cancun Mexico.”

Citizenship Act

Sam Cox
Sam Cox

“According Laws of Guyana Citizenship Act, Chapter 14:01, section 4 (1) ‘A Commonwealth Citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, being of full age and capacity, may, on making application, therefore under this subsection to the Minister in prescribe manner, be registered at the discretion of the Minister as a citizen of Guyana if he satisfies the Minister that he: (C) has had partly such residence and

Neil Danns
Neil Danns

partly such service, throughout the period of five years ending with the date of his application, or such shorter period so ending as the Minister may in the special circumstances of any particular case accept’”.

It continued “Section 9 of the Act also states that ‘the Minister may at his discretion, if application therefore is made to him in the prescribed manner be any alien or British protected person of full age and capacity who satisfies him that his is qualified under the Second Schedule for naturalization grant him a certificate of naturalization, and the person to whom the certificate is granted shall, on taking the oath of allegiance, become a citizen of Guyana by naturalization with effect from the date on which that certificate is granted’”.

According to the release “The World Governing body of the sport – FIFA – allows a player to represent any national team, as long as the player has citizenship of that country,

Basil Williams
Basil Williams

FIFA implemented a significant new ruling that requires a player to demonstrate a “clear connection” to any country they wish to represent. FIFA has used its authority to overturn results of competitive international matches that feature ineligible players.

Joseph Harmon
Joseph Harmon

Commenting on the issue via the same release, Head-Coach Jamal Shabazz said: “Given the family ties and what FIFA allows and the Guyana Constitution, I think it’s an

opportunity to reconnect Guyanese in the Diaspora with home. Don’t be fooled these lads are all Guyanese and there is precedence.

“This is indeed a test from Allah because we want our best possible team. Guyana is for Guyanese home and abroad, but we will go forward whether lightly armed or heavily equipped putting our trust in Allah,” he added.

Winston Felix
Winston Felix

Guyana will open its FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign away from home today against St. Vincent and Grenadines at the Arnos Vale Stadium from 15:30hrs.

They will then contest the return leg four days later at the National Stadium in Providence.

Unlike previous qualification tourney’s, CONCACAF has opted to make the first three rounds of the event elimination matchups, with the fourth and final round utilizing a group format.