Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
SHABAZZ appointed to CONCACAF Technical Group
Former Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz has been appointed to the CONCACAF
Flashback! Jamaal Shabazz (left) makes a point to the Golden Jaguars on November 15, 2010 as they prepared for their return game against T&T in the Twin Island Republic just after defeating the Trinis 11.11.11. (Franklin Wilson photo)
Technical Study Group (TSG). Shabazz, who took Guyana to the semifinal round of the CONCACAF segment for the last World Cup Qualifiers, started his first assignment with CONCACAF last week in Vera Cruz, Mexico.
Shabazz is currently in Vera Cruz doing Technical analysis for the CAC Games Men’s Tournament where the eight-team tournament is now down to the four semi finalists; Honduras, Venezuela, Cuba and hosts Mexico.
Shabazz commented on his appointment: “This is a great opportunity for me to enhance my skills as a student of the game and keep in touch with the game at the highest level in the region.
“It comes at a time when I am not working with any national team and analyzing the teams and the Coaches work, puts that fire in my stomach to work at international level again.”
The CAC Games has teams from Central America and the Caribbean competing and it has given Shabazz an opportunity to compare and gather information.
“The Caribbean players are in some cases more athletic than the Latin American players but I would like to see us improve our first touch. This is a big highlight of the Central Americans teams and players, that good first touch and ability to play in tight situations.”
Looking to the future Shabazz pointed out how important the current CAC Games tournament is for CONCACAF teams.
“These players are going to form the next Olympic teams of the various countries in 2016 and the pool for the 2022 and even 2018 World Cups.”
“It’s vital that we analyze what we are doing right here in CONCACAF, the emerging trends and what technical areas we need to strengthen as a Confederation,” he added.
The recent FIFA World Cup in Brazil proved CONCACAF has become very competitive with countries like Costa Rica, USA and Mexico doing very well. Asked his views of Guyana rising again in regional football, the former Golden Jaguars boss stated, “FIFA has made a huge step in bringing in the Normalization Committee. It is a very well put together group and once they can get the warring factions to work together then the football will benefit.
“But the stakeholders in the football must cooperate with the NC and put football first. The daggers of hatred, deceit and treachery towards one another must be thrown into the Essequibo river.”
Using his normal philosophical tone Shabazz pointed the need for the Guyana football fraternity to adopt a new alphabet. “In Guyana football it is A for apple, B for bat and C for yourself. We have got to make it A for apple, B for all and C for each other. Every time Guyana came together and C for each other in football you achieved success,” he advised.
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