Fixtures and fitness crucial for Jaguars

Feb 08, 2015 Sports

---

By Santokie Nagulendran
Much has already been written about Guyana’s 2-2 draw against Barbados last week, so it’s

now time to look forward and analyse what needs to be done for the Golden Jaguars to develop on the International stage, and the answer is: organised domestic fixtures need to take place.
Guyana’s ‘GFF Super League’ which is supposed to take place every year from October to April has not been held this season due to the turmoil that took place within the GFF administration last year. There have consequently been no consistent fixtures for top domestic sides in Guyana such as GDF, Buxton United or Western Tigers to play against each other since April 2014. (I have omitted Alpha United from the list as they are the only club in Guyana to have had some sort of ‘regular’ competition over the past few months as a result of taking part in the CONCACAF Champions League).
To put it into perspective, if the English Premier League was suspended for over nine months and English players had no regular football arranged, the National Team there would be in a terrible state and undoubtedly beaten by most teams in Europe. The fact that Guyana fielded a team featuring a substantial amount of players who have actually gone nine months without regular football and still managed to gain a 2-2 draw with Barbados is both a credit to the desire of the players and the coaching of Jamaal Shabazz and his staff.
Regional competitions such as the GFA Banks Beer Cup and WDFA Knockout Cup were held in December, but these tournaments do not provide enough opportunity for players to develop, as they are divided by regions and so the top teams in Guyana rarely play each other in these tournaments. With no stability in terms of footballing fixtures, it is no wonder that players chosen for the National Team lacked match fitness: they have had limited opportunities to play 90 minutes at an intense level.  Alpha United breezed through the early rounds of the Banks competition by scoring 33 goals in their first two games: uneven games like this do not develop or challenge players at the top level; they merely provide a 90 minute training session for the squad.
Often when a top player in Europe such as Messi or Neymar is out injured for a few weeks, their first game back is often described by commentators as one where ‘they try to regain match sharpness’ and the player is usually introduced for only part of the game. Therefore you can only imagine how much of a challenge it was for the Guyanese players, many of whom have not played regular football for the best part of nine months, to suddenly take part in an high-intensity International game against Barbados for 90 minutes.
Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz referenced this in a post-match interview, stating: “our fitness was just not able to keep the level of intensity and after 32 minutes we were just dragging in the first half. But all in all we saw some quality play from these boys, and as we get fitter, we will see the resurgence of Guyana.”
Shabazz went on to emphasise the need for a functioning league in Guyana: “Without fitness, without playing week-in and week-out, you will never have the legs to compete at a higher level.”   Whilst a general level of fitness can be maintained through training sessions and gym workouts, to be match-fit and ready to pay high intensity games both physically and mentally is something that can only be developed on the pitch by playing constant competitive games and this is where the Guyanese team was lacking.
Another problem which will hinder Guyana as they initially play International football is the lack of team experience: yes Guyana played three games in 2014 Caribbean Cup qualifiers as a National Team last year, but of the squad chosen last year, only Eusi Phillips was a member of the squad for the recent Barbados game. The vast majority of the squad against Barbados were either making their International debut, or in the case of players such as Trayon Bobb, Christopher Nurse and Vurlon Mills, playing their first International game since 2012.
The team therefore needs time to gel and gain experience of playing together as a unit: the Barbados team last week was young in age, but had vast experience of playing together as a team, their understanding of playing together gave them a substantial advantage on the field.
So where does the team go from here? The next FIFA International Window to play friendly matches is 23rd-31st March, and would allow the team to utilise more overseas-based players who have been playing football on a regular basis. The addition of two or three such players could transform the team if used in the right way.
Jamaal Shabazz claimed before the game that the Barbados showdown would reveal the truth of where Guyana’s football is at, and overall, it showed that despite the weaknesses in the team currently, there are numerous positives to take. Fitness and gaining match experience are factors that can be worked on by arranging more competitive games, what’s important is that the talent is there. A team where most of the players have not played regular football for nearly a year managed to take a two-goal lead over Barbados, a strong side in the CFU region and that fact alone provides hope for the future development of the side.
The Mayor’s Cup is currently under-way in Guyana, and Alpha United will be taking part in the CFU Championship in March, so there will be some football taking place domestically in which the players can use to sharpen their match practice, but a league is still very much needed to introduce consistency into Guyanese football.
With the right planning and preparation heading into the World Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines in June, Guyana can be confident of gaining a positive result and progressing to the next round. The foundation is there, Guyana has some of the most talented players in the region, yet it is the organisation and preparation over the next few months that will determine how far the team will go.

---

---