Anthony Williams: World Cup Player 1979 – 1986

Sep 23, 2012 Sports

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Statistician Charwayne Walker continues his series of features on Guyana’s World Cup Football players. Today we are pleased to feature Anthony Williams.
Anthony Williams led Guyana to a pair of commanding wins over a strong Venezuelan selection at the Camp Ayanganna Ground in November, 1986. In the first match the Guyanese blanked the Venezuelans 6-0 and in the series finale the boys from the land of the Majestic Kaieteur Falls triumphed 7-0.

This series triumph was more special to local fans because of the claim by Venezuela to land occupied by Guyana so skipper Williams and his troops were hailed as conquerors.
After that triumph, Williams was retained as skipper for Guyana’s next mission which was for Gold at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea but the skipper had no gold on his mind because he abandoned his troops en route to the National Team’s first qualifying match against the Bahamas in Nassau.
Only Williams could explain why he and Dion ‘Bogey’ Roberts fell so in love with Miami and never arrived in the Bahamas for the Olympic Qualifier which Guyana won 3-1.
This act of disloyalty is the only blemish for a man who was poised to take Guyana’s football to the promise land.
Williams’ first stint is national colours was in 1979 against Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean Football Union Under-19 championship.   Playing under the guidance of Lennox Arthur, Guyana lost both matches at home and in Port of Spain. Williams was next called to National duty in November 1979 against Suriname in the Inter Guiana games Under-18 series played in Georgetown.
The following year, 1980, he toured Brazil with Pele Football Club and on his return from Brazil was included in the Anthony Beresford led National Under-19 team that was eliminated by Suriname in the Caribbean Football Union Championship.
Because Guyana failed to participate in any international tournaments in 1981 and 1982, Williams had to wait until 1983 for his senior international debut and his first tour was to the land of the Flying Fish Barbados, March 1983; Guyana drew 1-1 with the host nation in a CFU eliminator.
This assignment saw the return fixture at GCC Ground, Bourda where the Mervyn ‘Pug’ Wilson Coached team won 2-0. He {Williams} then featured in a 0-0 stalemate with Antigua & Barbuda at the same venue.
The return fixture in St. John’s where the host won 4-0 was Williams’ first loss as a senior National player. Up next was an assignment at host Trinidad & Tobago, July 1983 for two International friendly matches. The following year, Lennox Arthur took over as National Coach from Mervyn ‘Pug’ Wilson and Williams first international under the guidance of his new mentor was a 2-0 defeat to T&T at GCC, Bourda.
The midfield player was spectacular even though Guyana lost the return game 3-1 in Port of Spain. Next for him at the international level was the dreaded 1-0 defeat by Suriname in a World Cup qualifier in Paramaribo, August 1984.
The return clash was contested at the GCC and Williams was outstanding in midfield where he created the goal Terrence Archer scored. However, a Gerald Williams mistake in goal caused the Dutchmen to earn a draw which effectively eliminated Guyana from the 1984 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Prior to the above mentioned series, Williams played an integral role in the engine room (midfield) when Guyana humbled India 3-0 at GCC. His last two internationals in 1984 were 1-1 draws against Suriname at GCC where Nigel ‘Mice’ Cummings was the Guyanese goal scorer in both encounters.
In 1985, once again Williams’ creativity in midfield inspired Guyana to victory over the Mighty Cubans in a two match series contested at GCC. In his next international he scored a spectacular goal which silenced the French Guiana crowd when the Gordon Braithwaite led nationals won the CFU eliminator 1-0.
He failed to replicate the same form in his next international at Camp Ayanganna when Guyana lost 1-0 to Suriname, exiting the 1985 CFU campaign.
His 1985 international programme concluded triumphantly in November when Guyana defeated French Guiana in a two match series at Camp Ayanganna. The following year, Coach Lennox Arthur decided to blood new talent for future engagements so Trevor Maxwell retained the National captaincy for two friendly games against Barbados at GCC.
Guyana, playing without the likes of Gordon Braithwaite, Marlon De Souza, Mickey Layne, Aubrey Hudson, Terrence Archer, Neville ‘Zipper’ Johnson, Leonard ‘Dentist’ Williams, David Kistoo and Julien Moe found themselves one down to the Bajans in the series opener.
Williams, who was one of skipper Maxwell’s senior Lieutenants, marshaled the young troops to a 2-0 victory in the final game which enabled Guyana to draw the series, one game apiece.
He replaced Lannie Maxwell as National Captain in November 1986 and endorsed the selectors’ thrust in him by thrashing a Venezuelan selection 6-0 and 7-0 respectively in two friendly internationals at Camp Ayanganna.
Following such a spectacular showing, who would have predicted that the Venezuelan conquest would have been Williams’ final outing in National colours.
These are the troops Skipper Williams and Dion Roberts abandoned whilst in transit in Miami, Florida en route to Nassau, Bahamas on January 26, 1987.
Terrence Archer (Pele), Gerald Austin Williams (Western Tigers), Oscar Rodney – deceased (Western Tigers), Aubrey Taylor (Pele), Anthony Bowen (Western Tigers), Shawn Williams – deceased (Conquerors), Elson Hinckson – deceased (GDF), Colin Pollard – deceased (GDF), Rupert Gordon (Western Tigers), Trevor Maxwell (Western Tigers), Deon Barnwell (Thomas United), Neil O’Choa (Camptown), Frank Alphonso Jr. (Santos), Adrian Ford (Police). Mark Bender (Manager), Lennox Arthur (Coach), Mervyn Wilson (Assistant Coach).
Anthony Williams International Tours
1979    Trinidad & Tobago – CFU Under-19 Championship
1980    Brazil – Goodwill Tour with Pele FC
1980    Suriname – CFU Under-19 Championship
1983    Barbados – CFU Senior Championship
1983    Antigua and Barbuda – CFU Senior Championship
1983    Trinidad & Tobago – Goodwill Tour, Senior National Team
1984    Trinidad & Tobago – Friendly International
1985    French Guiana – CFU Senior Championship
1986    Miami USA – Olympic Qualifier vs Bahamas
Williams is the brother of former National player Shawn ‘Putty’ Williams and former National Basketball player, Kathy Williams.

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