One change as National Beach Soccer Team leave for Barbados tourney tomorrow

Feb 08, 2017 Sports

The National Beach Soccer team that has been going through intense training from the start of the New Year will leave Guyana tomorrow to compete in the Barbados Beach Soccer Showcase before heading to the CONCACAF Beach

National Beach Soccer Coach Abdullah Hamid (right) during a briefing session with the team recently at the Bayrock Beach Soccer Facility in Linden.

Soccer Championships from February 20 – 26 in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has invited Guyana to be part of this history making competition (Feb. 10 – 12) which will see teams from Trinidad and Tobago, England, Antigua and Barbuda and the host nation competing as warm up for the CONCACAF championships which will see Guyana creating history as a participant for the first time.
Following the first Beach Soccer League that was held in Guyana last year and sponsored by Corona Beer, the GFF had shortlisted a 26-man squad in September 2016 before the final 12-member team was named in December.
Only one change has been made to the team which is being Coached by the multi talented Abdulla Hamid, a former FIFA Assistant Referee, basketball player and Coach. Goalkeeper Kellon Major who was part of the original 12 last has been replaced by Kennard Simon.
The team was involved in weekend camps from January 9 before commencing full encampment on January 30th.in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden which they have been holding training sessions twice daily at the Bayrock Beach Soccer Facility.
Speaking with GFF Media, Coach Hamid said the team’s preparation has been good thus far: “We have been training intensely for two and a half months and the team is very motivated. The mindset among team members is great; they’re excited and ready to go to make Guyana proud.”
The invitation from the BFA has come at a timely juncture for the Golden Jaguars as it would be an ideal tester ahead of the CONCACAF Championships where the Guyanese have been drawn in Group A along with the host nation, Jamaica and Belize.
THE Barbados Beach Soccer Showcase will be contested from this Friday to Sunday after which the Guyanese would remain on the island for a few more days of encampment before winging out to the Bahamas on February 17.
This showcase will feature teams from Trinidad and Tobago which will contest Group C of the CONCACAF Championship, England, Antigua and Barbuda, also in Group C of the CONCACAF Championship and the host nation which has been drawn in Group B.
Designated Manager of the Guyana team is Mark Young who noted that the Barbados tournament will serve as a warm-up and “provide the national team much needed exposure to higher quality teams like England…”
The CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship will serve as FIFA’s Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier for the region.
The full team is below: