The 20th Kashif and Shanghai year-end football extravangaza is gathering momentum and this afternoon at the Georgetown Football Club ground a battle royal is set to take place.
From 18:00 hours, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), considered the number two football club in Guyana, will clash with the ‘West Side cripplers’ Seawall United.
In the second match of the double-header, a strengthened BK International Western Tigers side is ready and raring to go up against East Coast’s royalty, Victoria Kings.
While Seawall United will be making its first appearance in the tournament, most of the club’s players are from the disbanded Pouderoyen Football Club who participated in several tournaments in the past.
They have made their way to the round of 16 after defeating Rusal last week at the same venue but their performance was nothing to cheer about.
Coming up against a well oiled Army team, they will certainly need to step up to the plate.
GDF coach Marlon Washington, the former national table tennis player, led his team to a superb run this football season finishing second place in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super League last month; losing to eventual winners Alpha United in the final.
The GDF has never made it to the final of this tournament and with Warren Gilkes, Stellon David and the lanky Delroy Deen in their line-up; they will want to build on their continued success this year.
Meanwhile, Western Tigers are hoping that their bite can be as damaging as their roar when they come up against a hungry looking Victoria Kings.
The Tigers will have the services of English-based national player Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney who would complement the game’s most lethal striker, Devon Millington as they try to at least make it to the finals; a place they have not been since 2002 when they lost 0-1 to Fruta Conquerors.
The Victoria Kings are on the comeback trail and their performance on Sunday at Blairmont against New Amsterdam United spoke volumes of their seriousness.
Captained by Tichard Joseph who plays for Tobago United in the Trinidad and Tobago Professional league the Kings, who won the tournament in 2001 will have the likes of national custodian Andrew Durant and Pierre Joseph in their line up.
