The inaugural edition of the ‘One Guyana President’s Cup’ will be decided this evening when Region #3 battles tournament favourite Region #4 at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora at 20:30hrs.
Region #4 will enter the match as the firm favourite following a flawless tournament to date. Following an impressive group stage campaign which ended in an unbeaten record, Region #4 mauled Region #5 by an 8-1 score in a thoroughly lopsided semi-final encounter to seal a place in the championship fixture.
Their roster boasts a conglomerate of local and foreign based Golden Jaguars internationals, which include Omari Glasgow, Daniel Wilson, Curtez Kellman, Akel Clarke, Kelsey Benjamin, Nicholas MacArthur, Colin Nelson, Marcus Wilson, Ryan Hackett, and Jeremy Garrett.
Wayne Dover, head coach during a pre match comment said, “After the semi-finals, we had a careful look at how much football the team was playing since the tournament’s inception, and decided to give them some rest so that they could be fresh and we could maximise them for the finale.”
He added, “We expect a tough game and will try our best to get a positive result. While we might have some of the best players, it doesn’t always mean that you will win. You still have to come out and execute and play well. We are cognizant of the opponent and we will try to employ our tactics and strategies to come out on top.”
On the other hand, Region #3 punched their ticket to the final after overcoming Region #7 in the semi-final section 5-2. The West Demerara outfit, which ended the group stage with a record of two wins and as many draws, also sport several national players within their ranks inclusive of Leo Lovell, Trayon Bobb, Delon Lanferman, and Chris Macey.
Bilaal Nantambu, Head-coach of Region #3 said, “In terms of the final, we are the underdog. We are playing the mighty region #4, if you look at the team sheet, one would give region #4 the advantage and that is understandable. However our team would have experienced coming from two goals down or exchanging leads and I think the frame of mind of my team is that we are ready for anything. If it’s a battle or a dogfight, we are ready for it. Technically I think we are competent enough to stand up to region #4 and I have no doubt about that.”
According to Nantambu, “What excited me about the tournament initially was that you had to include six U20 players in every regional team and to start three of them, but we found out that certain regions didn’t do that. That is one of the positives for me. The second thing that is positive is that a local national squad will be selected and paid for the entirety of 2023, that is what is being announced, a 75-member squad from these games, and if they are able to bring out two or three to the Golden Jaguars then it would have been positive.”
Meanwhile, Region #7 will match skills with Region #3 in the third place playoff at 18:00hrs. The winner of the tournament will pocket $2,000,000, while the runner-up will receive $1,000,000.
