President of the Guyana Football Federation yesterday stopped short of saying that the federation will continue with head coach Marcio Maximo in the wake of the team’s dismal showing in the recent World Cup Qualifiers.
Quizzed if the GFF will continue with the services of head-coach Marcio Maximo in the wake of Trinidad and Tobago axing their coaching staff, Forde said, “We don’t compare actions that we take here at the GFF with other countries.
“They all have their own unique circumstances that they have to treat with. What I would like to say to the general public and those who may have expressed their views on the head coach future with Guyana football is that we have to bring much more to bear in deliberation and consideration before we make those very significant decisions.”
There have been calls in some quarters and by the public for the changes in the coaching department but Forde said that the GFF will not act hastily in that regard.
“The fans and the public as one would expect, their expectations are consistent high performance and as I would have said we were unable to do that this time around. But that does not mean that we will make hasty decisions before we would have considered all the factors. The leadership of the GFF will continue to examine the entire programme and the decisions that are necessary which will give us the results that not only we expect but the nation expects, and decisions will be made as the situation demands,” he added.
Forde said that he too was disappointed by the team’s failure to the advance to the second round.
“The Golden Jaguars’ 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign did not go as we had planned or expected and we are all very disappointed.
“While there are positives to take away from each game, not least the promising performances of our young talent, it was heartbreaking to see the team consistently conceding soft goals in the early stages of the three games that we lost,” he declared.The Golden Jaguars were dumped out the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, after concluding the group campaign with a record of three losses and a win. Guyana lost to Trinidad and Tobago (4-0), St. Kitts and Nevis (3-0) and Puerto Rico (2-0), with their only victory occurring against The Bahamas (4-0).
Forde stated that the federation has consistently echoed its intention to qualify for the 2026 championship, adding that the integration of new talent into the programme is important, as it will build a unit that will reach its playing potential and peak in time for that qualification window.
“As a stepping stone towards this ultimate goal, it was one of the senior men’s national team’s targets this year to reach the second phase of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We would, therefore, have to accept that, while the successful integration of some potential stars of the future can be considered an encouraging step forward, the recent performance of the team fell short of creating the momentum we had hoped for.”
He continued, “While it is critical that we begin the grooming process of the generation of players that will be tasked with achieving the goal of 2026 qualification, it was never our intention to do this at the expense of the nation’s flagship football brand, and no one within the national team programme should be saying otherwise. The public expects the GFF to manage the changing cycles of our national teams in a responsible and smooth way, and it is absolutely important that we do all that we can to meet that expectation.”
Forde declared that the local preparation of the squad was ideal despite the prevailing climate, adding that the federation attempted to organize three international friendlies, but were unsuccessful in their efforts owing to the Covid-19 restrictions enforced on the respective nations.
“The resulting absence of these crucial warm-up games was an unavoidable set-back in the team’s preparation,” he said.
Asked if a performance review of the squad and management team’s performance has been conducted, Forde declared, “There is an ongoing review of the entire World Cup qualification campaign beginning with the logistics, planning, preparation when we were abroad and the actual games. That is an extensive process and would say that its ongoing.”
According to Forde, the team will now turn its attention to the upcoming Gold Cup playoff in an effort to seal their second appearance at the tournament.
He disclosed that the squad is aiming to depart for Miami shortly and is hoping to play two friendly encounters, which will serve as part of its preparatory period to assess players.
“There is no doubt that Guatemala will be a tough obstacle in advancing to the round of 16, and we should be realistic about our expectations.
“However, we expect the squad and staff to give everything they have to cause Guatemala some serious problems throughout the match, and we know the support of the fans can make all the difference.
“After the Gold Cup, the team will not be in competitive action until next year. We will use this time to further strengthen the development of our domestic-based national team players together with a consistent level of local and international games”, Forde said.
