‘Golden Jags’ Head Coach highlights fitness as key in lead up to qualifiers

Aug 27, 2011 Sports

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Guyana’s National Football team, ‘Golden Jaguars’ executed their plan precisely as said in Kaieteur sport last Wednesday. The ‘Golden Jaguars’ crafted another historical record for Guyana with their 2-1 defeat of India’s National team at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.  India’s National Football team was once trounced 3-nil by Guyana’s former National team in 1984 at Georgetown Cricket Club.
In an interview with Mr. Jamaal Shabazz, Head Coach of the ‘Golden Jaguars’ Football team at Raddison Suite, Queenstown, Kaieteur Sport was informed that the team’s performance was fair due to the fact of the victory against their opponent, India.
“ I think that it was a fair performance, it could have been a lot better but the fact that we have won means that it would have gave us a good start for the careers of several youngsters like Ryan Crandon, Adrian Butters, Trayon Bobb and Daniel Wilson, just to name of few.”
‘Golden Jaguars’ Head Coach is of the view that the locally based Guyana players are not physically equipped for the World Cup Qualifiers. “Over all, I think that the locally based Guyanese players are not as fit as they should be, given the importance of a World Cup Qualifying Tournament…the Football fraternity is not as focused and united as it should be as it prepares for the most major tournament in the football world.”
Mr. Jamaal Shabazz lamented that fitness is a key area to be covered in the team’s training programme for improvement for the upcoming tournament. “Fitness is a key area we need to improve on but that can only be done on a gradual basis… the tactical awareness of the youngsters will need to improve, if they are to graduate into becoming International Players. To improve on this we are going to create a lot of game situations in training and give the power of decision making back to the player.”
Mr. Shabazz added that a fitness expert will be needed in the future for the team, “In the long run we will need to bring abroad someone who is a fitness expert to develop a programme to raise the individual and collective fitness of the team.”
Kaieteur Sport was also informed that Guyana’s National Football team will be comprised of both local and overseas based players for the World Cup Qualifiers.
According to Mr. Shabazz, the team should not be too difficult to integrate since the overseas players should be fit with a sound tactical base. “The overseas players will certainly be a boost to the team because we expect them to all come in fit and with a sound tactical base since they are accustomed to a disciplined environment and from where they play it would not be too difficult to integrate them into the team.”
He added that the team’s strategy against their opponents in the World Cup Qualifier cannot be revealed presently. “We cannot give away any secrets at the moment but Guyana is in South America and we favour the possession type build of play and we would live and die by trying to play attractively.”
Mr. Shabazz said that his main aim is to revive the spirit of football in Guyanese people. “My main aim is to revive the spirit of the Guyanese people and rejuvenate the football fraternity and to create a football industry in Guyana. We intend to be a competitive fighting force and despite all the obstacles and the late start we will come out fighting and battling to achieve our objective.”
Mr. Shabazz also told Kaieteur Sport that his modern methodology of training and experience is available to all coaches in the country. “I bring a tremendous amount of commitment and a strong desire to help develop the game on and off the field…my experience in modern methodology of training is available to all the coaches in the country because our technical staff alone cannot do this job since the players will spend more time with their clubs than the national team therefore the coaches must set higher standards in terms of punctuality, discipline and intensity in training.”
He further added that the Caribbean is experiencing a very challenging period as the Guyana Football Federation President, Mr. Colin Klass, is ‘temporarily out’. “The Caribbean is going through a very challenging period but this is not the time to be faint hearted and weak with the lost and threats to the cream of the crop of Caribbean Football Leadership. We must come out and face the situation with courage and confidence. It is an ideal time for the GFF executives and its Acting President to step up to the wicket and try to carry on the batting while Mr. Klass is temporary out.” (Juanita Hooper)

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