From left: Player Walter Moore, GFF president (ag) Franklin Wilson, Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz, and skipper Chris Nurse at the press briefing yesterday
In what has been described in some circles as the defining moment for Guyana’s football, the senior national team, the ‘Golden Jaguars’, will clash with Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Soca Warriors’ on Friday, fully aware that a victory will propel them to the next round of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers.
The Group ‘B’ game, billed for 11.11.11 at the National Stadium, is the most important for Jamaal Shabazz’s men, who have been in intense training over the past few weeks.
The Guyanese are on ten points, one ahead of T&T, whom Shabazz described as ‘Goliath’ in the match plot. The ‘Golden Jaguars’ have recorded three wins and a draw from four games, while the ‘Soca Warriors’ have three victories and a defeat from the same number of matches.
Speaking at a press briefing at Raddison Suites in Georgetown yesterday, Shabazz said the players are in their final phase of preparation for the all-important encounter.
“It’s straight focus in the coming days to bring together the group in the way we want for these two important games,” he said. After the home game on Friday, the ‘Jaguars’ will travel to T& T to take on the hosts in the return match in Port-of-Spain on November 15.
Shabazz explained that the locally-based players, along with a few from overseas, were in intense training over the past couple of weeks under the guidance of Assistant Coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover, and, during the coming days, they will be fine tuning preparations.
Commenting on the ‘Wear Yellow Campaign’ being plugged by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in collaboration with the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, the head coach appealed to all Guyanese, home and abroad, to show support for the team by wearing the necessary apparel.
“It’s something special for Guyana. We can break all barriers, whether political, racial or social; whether you’re in Madrid, Linden… or Georgetown, we want your support, wear yellow.” Shabazz added that while the odds are “pretty even” between the two teams, the crowd support, which he referred to as the 12th player, is vital to giving Guyana the edge come game night.
He further stated that he’s impressed with the professionalism and attitude of the team, which has been boosted with the arrival of a few players from England.
“We will gel on the commonality and purpose (that is to qualify for the World Cup). Everybody sees this as a moment that can define our lives as footballers. That’s the gelling factor right there,” Shabazz divulged.
“They (T&T) have still not conceded that this Guyana team is a good team. Our main strength is our desire to go to the next round.” GFF president (ag), Franklin Wilson, shared similar sentiments, as he encouraged Guyanese to come out and outnumber the 300-strong T& T support group expected in for the match.
He said that support for the team is absolutely necessary, as the ultimate aim is to energise the players as they battle to keep Guyana in the hunt for a spot in the World Cup.
