Recent head-to-head form and not competitive history will be on the side of the Golden Jaguars when they open their League B campaign in the 2023–2024 CONCACAF Nations League today against hosts Antigua and Barbuda at the Football Association Technical Centre at 15:30 hours.
Guyana has an inferior record against the “Benna Boys.”
In 11 meetings, Guyana has won four times while suffering five defeats.
The other two matches ended in stalemates. In the last six encounters, Guyana has an unenviable record of one win and five losses, though the last meeting ended favorably for the Golden Jaguars via a 5-1 score in the 2019 Nations League. During the six-match period, Guyana recorded eight goals against 11 concessions.
To date, Guyana has contested five matches in 2023, winning one [2-0 Bermuda], losing two [0-2 Guadeloupe, 0-2 Ethiopia], and drawing two [0-0 Montserrat, 1-1 Grenada (5-3 penalty kicks)]. On the other hand, Antigua and Barbuda sport a 0-3 record in 2023, following defeats to Guadeloupe [0-1, 0-5], and Barbados [1-2].
Overall, Guyana has scored 22 goals against Antigua and Barbuda while conceding 15.
Guyana’s 23-member roster, which contains 12 locally based players, comprises goalkeepers Quillan Roberts (overseas), Kai McKenzie-Lyle (overseas), and Akel Clarke; defenders Jeremy Garrett, Curtez Kellman, and Jalen Jones (overseas); midfielders Daniel Wilson, Stephen Duke-McKenna (overseas), Darron Niles, Ryan Hackett, and Elliot Bonds (overseas); and forwards Omari Glasgow (overseas), Kadel Daniels (overseas), Deon Moore (overseas), Kelsey Benjamin, and Connor Kurran-Browne.
Notable absentees from the squad are Sam Cox and Emery Welshman. Cox is presently a member of the management staff, while Welshman is in pre-retirement.
The Guyanese will then host The Bahamas three days later. Guyana will then lock horns with Puerto Rico on October 14th before the reverse fixture is staged on October 17th. The Golden Jaguars’ final two matches will occur on November 18th and November 21st, respectively, against the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda.
In the 2022–2023 edition, Guyana ended up in second place with 10 points. In the inaugural 2019–2020 edition, Guyana finished in the runner-up spot in league B with nine points.
According to CONCACAF, a format change was implemented for the 2023–2024 edition, which resulted in no relegation of teams following the end of the 2022–2023 season.
League A has been increased from 12 to 16 teams and will feature a quarterfinal section. The 12 lowest-ranked teams in League A will feature in a group stage comprising two pools of six, with the resulting group winner and runner-up advancing to the elimination section alongside the USA, Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica. The quarterfinal fixtures will utilize a home-and-away format.
The fifth and sixth-placed teams at the end of the group stage in League A will be relegated. Meanwhile, League C has been reduced from 12 to nine teams.
The competing nations will be divided into three groups of three, with the resulting group winners and the best second-placed team in the division advancing to League B.
