The Golden Jaguars completed a successful 2011 by qualifying for the third round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers for the first time in the nation’s history, since Guyana commenced participation in World Cup qualifiers for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
This year, 2012, could be one of the more exciting years in the team’s history as they tackle CONCACAF powerhouses Mexico and Costa Rica along with El Salvador in Group B action.
Although defeating Caribbean powerhouses Trinidad and Tobago on that historic night on November 11th, 2011, was a great achievement – the new opponents cannot be underrated with players of the calibre of Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, New York Red Bulls and former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, and Fulham winger Brian Ruiz to name a few.
However the Guyanese are confident and one player who symbolizes the spirit of the team is 27-year-old skipper Chris Nurse who plays club football with Carolina Railhawks in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Stabroek Sport got in touch with Golden Jaguars captain via e-mail and a telephone interview from his residence in England and he reflected on last year’s performances and spoke a bit about himself and prospects for the national team this year.
CB: Looking back at last year’s successful World Cup qualifiers, how proud a moment was it for you as captain to lead Guyana to that stage and how highly do you rate that achievement among your career accomplishments so far?
CN: To captain Guyana to the national team is by far my biggest accomplishment so far, it’s at the top of my career highlights. It was a fantastic achievement; all the team and coaching staff made the sacrifices and showed the desire to be successful. To see the turnout at the stadium from the public, from the fans was amazing, and we have given Guyanese people all over the world something to be proud of. Going into the round we were underdogs to Trinidad, and we overcame many adversities. The team has its fighters and again we showed against all odds that Guyanese have blood, pride, talent, passion and under the correct leadership we now have success.
When you walk out of the dressing rooms and stand shoulder to shoulder alongside premier league players like Kenwyne Jones, leading your country onto the pitch wearing the Guyanese colours and the captain’s armband, listening to the national anthem and come off the pitch at the end of the game victorious, these are the moments you dream about as a child.
CB: Since you last played for the Jaguars on November 15th, have you been playing football?
CN: Since that game I’ve been doing the necessary rehabilitation and I’m feeling good and ready for the new season, and will be heading back into pre-season training in February.
CB: You have played in high level CONCACAF Champions League matches for your club. Would you rate the Trinidad encounter on November 11th on the same level as any of those matches?
CN: The whole team gave it their all for the 90 minutes and the result speaks for itself. Anyone at the game will tell you, it was no luck or fluke, on the night Guyana were the better team. In the next stage anything can happen, again we will be the underdogs and the opposition will be tougher. But I’ve been in this situation before “David vs Goliath” and twice before I’ve been successful, hopefully these experiences I can bring to the team. Whilst with the Puerto Rico Islanders we faced LA Galaxy, a team that dons the likes of David Beckham, Langdon Donovan and we defeated them 4-1 in Los Angeles on their home pitch and knocked them out of the Champions League. In the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League we faced Toluca Mexico, they were the Mexican league champions, we defeated them 3-2. No one could believe that a small club side from Puerto Rico playing in the second division of North America could achieve this result. Amongst the team, players, staff and fans we believed. In that same season we went on to win the United States Second Division Championship. In this instance I will say belief is what guided us to these accomplishments. When you “believe” you can achieve your wildest dreams.
Leading up to the game against Trinidad the squad had numerous injuries, myself, Gregory Richardson, Carl Cort, Shaun Beveney all carrying knocks coming up to the game, at one stage I didn’t think I’d be able to play and I didn’t sleep the whole night, I prayed and prayed and prayed, spent hours doing rehabilitation and working with the physio and medical staff, thank goodness come game day, I was not 100% but I was in good enough condition to play. It so happened I had torn my meniscus and cartilage, only God knows how I managed to play on, but I’m happy I did, given the opportunity I would make the same sacrifice.”
CB: Being captain of the Guyanese national football team is a great honour, but oddly the public is vaguely au fait with you compared to let’s say the national cricket team’s captain. Give the Guyanese public a synopsis of your football upbringing?
CN: I was born and raised in the UK, my father is Guyanese, born in Linden, my grandmother is from Plaisance and my grandfather was from East Bank Demerara and my mother is Jamaican. My parents were living in Barbados when my brother was born, which is how we ended up playing against each other in the qualifiers last year.
As an English-born Guyanese, you can never have the true experience until you come to Guyana and experience the land and spend time with the people and really humble yourself to the natural way of life. Spending time in Guyana is always a humbling experience, and I always enjoy the home-cooked food and natural fruits.
I’ve had good mentors in my career; one of my strongest mentors is Jamie Lawrence, a good friend of mine. He went to prison and came out at 24 and went on to play in the Premier League and for Jamaica, this is unthinkable, to imagine that a young black guy could achieve these accomplishments in England. If you train with the guy you will see he has a mentality of “nothing is impossible”, “you can never train too hard”, “excuses are for weak-minded people”.
As a athlete you have to hold yourself responsible, you have to block out your friends, media, at times family, and just focus on doing the best that you can, making the necessary sacrifices to be the best you can be. When my friends party I’m normally home, watching games, eating correctly and doing extra training. It would be easy to join my friends, but it’s not the path I want to follow.
CB: Normally in the Golden Jaguars 4-4-2 formation, you play as a box-to-box midfielder in partnership with Kayode McKinnon. What would you say is your biggest asset as a midfielder?
CN: Quitting is never an option, my heart, passion aggression are my strongest characteristics and as I’ve aged, I’ve become a smarter footballer, the enthusiasm that may have held me back as a younger professional and now nurtured into a smarter more experienced professional. But my midfield engine and my will to win are some of my strongest attributes. I win the ball and play it simple to the match winners, that is my job within the team, it doesn’t attract the most attention but I work for the team and I’m happy to work quietly in the background as long as the team is producing productive results and performances.
CB: Would you call yourself a vocal captain who gesticulates to teammates during play or rather a captain who preferably inspires teammates based on performances on the pitch?
CN: I’m a vocal captain and on the field I’m a player who can drive the team on. My teammates call me “captain courageous”, ha! ha! All my teammates know I’ll run through a brick wall for any of them. But football is a team game; we have 11 captains anytime we step on the field. Everyone’s voice is important. We have leaders like Charles Pollard, old school veteran leader, loves the game, loves to train, good professional, always working hard, if he’s not training he’s at the gym, living life the right way. Big respect to Charles Pollard, he is the ultimate Jaguar I would say.
Coach Shabbaz
CB: As captain, how important do you think coach Jamaal Shabbaz has been towards the team’s current success?
CN: Coach Shabbaz is an “inspiration”. The man knows how to speak, he knows how to motivate the team, and he knows good management of players. He thinks situations through thoroughly and rarely acts on emotion or irrationally. His coaching methods and tactics replicate those that you face in teams in top leagues around the world and he is able to deliver and execute those ideas and plans clearly for the team to understand. The coach is a fighter, therefore he requires the same from his players and this relationship is the foundation of the ability of the team to gel and work together.
Coach Shabbaz is one of the best coaches in the Caribbean and the relationship alongside Coach Wayne Dover is reaping fantastic results for the team. The two work well together and the team is benefiting from this.
CB: Who are some of your playing heroes?
CN: I always watch players who play in my position, so Roy Keane, Patrick Viera, Steven Gerrard, Paul Ince, John Barnes are all players who have played at the top level, are players I’ve admired.
CB: In this new year, everyone is aware of the massive tasks facing the Golden Jaguars in the WCQ group matches against Mexico, Costa Rica who are two football powerhouses in this region. As captain what would you like to see from your teammates?
CN: In the buildup to the games, preparation at every level is key. The sacrifices to be at the peak performance come June need to be made from now. The players and anyone involved in the preparation of these games need to take responsibility to put all distractions aside and make these games there primary focus. It is the only way we will stand a chance. “God will help those who help themselves”.
CB: Talk is that there are a few high profile English- based players with Guyanese heritage such a Jerome Thomas from West Bromwich Albion, Jay Bothroyd of Queens Park Rangers, Michael Briggs of Fulham, Titus Bramble of Sunderland and Fabian Delph of Aston Villa – who could be solicited to the Jaguars set-up.
As captain what do you say to the folks who suggest that the national team may need to acquire the services of all of those players if they want to get out of that group this year?
CN: It’s silently known that, yes, there are players available in the higher leagues with Guyanese heritage and of course we welcome these players if they are going to bring positivity and add to the programme, however talent can only be expressed with the correct mindset. As and where coach Shabbaz seems adequate to add to the squad I’m sure he will speak with them personally, establish where their mind is and make a decision if they can add to the team. But let’s not get carried away with what we cannot affect right now.
Football is a sport that unites the world, so it was fantastic to see so many of the Guyanese people fill the stadium and support the nation’s professional footballers from all over the world. Some people don’t see the benefit of having players from leagues all over the world, but if you look at the Trinidadians World Cup team, the Jamaicans World Cup team in the years they proceeded to the World Cup, a lot of their players were foreign-based players. Guyana has amazing talent, hopefully with the success the national team has these players will get the opportunity to gain recognition in the bigger league in the world, because it will draw scouts to the Guyanese league.
CB: What would you like to see from Guyanese football fans and the local business community in support of Golden Jaguars, ahead of that massive first game versus Mexico on June 8th at the world famous Estadio Azteca?
CN: The situation the team faces currently is a fantastic opportunity to put Guyana way up on the map, support the team, financially, physically, research the players, take an active interest in the team and where its players are and how they’re doing. Buy the shirts. Do everything within your power to help the programme in every way you can. Now is the time to unite and give Guyana the best chance to progress.
Just forward thinking and a will to get things done “yesterday” instead of “tomorrow”. This procrastinating must cease immediately.
Procrastinators produce no results; hesitancy produces no results, it’s time for people to stand up and make bold positive, forward, progressive movements. “Tomorrow” is not the mentality for right now. We need action right now to prepare, “today”. Golden Jaguars are doing big things in 2012. The hard work began the moment the Trinidad game ended and we’re going all the way to the very end. Businesses need to get behind the team and support the players individually and the team as a whole.
In the UK businesses would sponsor players, provide their training equipment, boots, dietary supplements, all the needs for the player. Give the players the opportunities to perform to the best of their abilities. The players play for the love of Guyana. This may not necessarily feed their families. This is a difficult battle the players often face.
Time to big up our own athletes and make the Caribbean respect Guyana and make them fear coming up against the national team.”
