The Rastafari Patriots will resume their rivalry against the Baldheads on August 22 at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground but unlike the two previous occasions, both teams have added overseas-based players to their lineup to help strengthen their chances.
After winning the last meeting, the Rastafari Patriots will be adding former senior national stalwart Roger Alphonso who is based in the US along with Mexican Jose Blanco and Moussa Gueye from Senegal.
Vibert Butts who holds the distinction of scoring Guyana’s first ever World Cup qualifier goal in 1976 against Suriname, said that he is confident that the Rastafari squad will take the title this year once again because of the solid lineup.
“Well we have the likes of Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite who is a football legend in this country and he will join forces with Roger Alphonso and some brothers from overseas so I know for certain we have a really strong lineup and I think we can take it all the way,” said Butts who is also a player-coach of the Rastafari Patriots. But Royston Erskine, player-coach of the Baldheads team believe regardless of all the glitter which the opposition has, his charges will come out victorious and they too are boosting their lineup.
“You know after all the talking I know that Ballheads will prevail over the Rastas. I’m not going to brag and boast like them and call out a set of stars name but I’ll say that we have a really good squad with overseas presence as well,” said Erskine.
“Former national captain Terence Archer as you know will lead our lineup which also have Frank Parris, Dennis Hunte and Bill Wilson just to name a few who I know will certainly take this home.” He also noted that players from both Berbice and Linden will also be joining their squad. The Rasta versus Baldheads enmity first began in 2005 and that year the Baldheads prevailed over their dreadlocks opponents. The tables turned in 2007 when the Rasta won via a penalty shoot out at GFC and come this year the winner will go one up in the series.
Trophies and bragging rights will be up for grabs while the organizers are hoping to add a monetary prize as well. They say that last year Banks DIH played a major role in sponsoring the event but this year nothing has materialized.
It was however agreed by the two teams that regardless of money, the show will go on since the game is to demonstrate a form of unity.
The two sides will play a maximum of 80 minutes (40 minutes per half) and if at the end of regulation time the scores are tied the game will go directly to penalty kick-out.
