With Guyana’s campaign in the CONCACAF Men’s U20 Qualifiers pencilled to commence in 21 days in Antigua and Barbuda, recently appointed head coach Kayode McKinnon is slated to announce the final roster in the space of two weeks.
This was disclosed in an official release from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). According to the correspondence, the team has been under the watchful eye of McKinnon and his coaching staff, which comprises Assistant Coach Vurlon Mills and Goalkeeping Coach Richard Reynolds at the National Training Centre in Providence. The release stated that 21 players will be selected for the final roster from the current provisional list of 21 players. McKinnon said, “I understand the talent that we have. So we’re excited to work with them; obviously, we’re new coaches to them, we’re new people, and there’re new voices. Everything takes a bit of time for people to adapt and adjust, but it’s been exciting so far. Things are moving in the right direction.”
“Once players start becoming much more comfortable, they begin to show who they really are, so we’re cognizant of that. But the exciting part is the relationship we’re building with the players, and one of the things we talk about here in this short stint is trust,” he further added.
He added that the coaching team is “trying to identify those players that show first and foremost the intensity and the ability to execute at a high level in the decision-making that is our foundation for success. Yes, we’ve identified some key players, and we’re still looking.”
The Golden Jaguars have been drawn in group B of the qualifiers, which will occur across five venues in the Caribbean and Central America during the period of February 23rd–March 2nd. The teams were seeded in their respective pots based on their current rankings.
The Guyanese, who were seeded in pool 4 of the five-pot selection process, have been paired with El Salvador, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, and Turks and Caicos. The matches will be staged in Antigua and Barbuda at the island’s technical centre. Guyana, which is ranked 27th, will open its campaign against the hosts on February 23rd. They will then oppose El Salvador two days later, before battling Suriname on the 27th. Guyana’s final match will occur on February 29th against the Turks and Caicos.
Meanwhile, GFF Technical Director Bryan Joseph said, “They’ve injected a fresh perspective and a new energy, and it’s evident that the players are enthusiastic. Their seamless integration into the existing structure is because of their understanding of the game.”
He further said, “Our extensive scouting efforts, reaching across Guyana via the Under-15 National Team programme and the Namilco Under-17 League, ensure that the coaches have the opportunity to choose from the finest talent in the country. We are thankful to parents overseas who responded to our invitations, enabling their children to participate in the local training camp.”
Joseph disclosed that the team competed against the Elite League champions, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), in a friendly fixture, noting, “This created an ideal setting for players to display their gaming techniques, allowing the coaches to conduct comprehensive evaluations. I was pleased to see the young players giving their all on the pitch against some of our best senior players.”
