2016 Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup...

2016 Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup…

Mar 19, 2016 Sports

Golden Jaguars commence training ahead of Anguilla clash

By Franklin Wilson
With the aim of qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time, Guyana’s ‘Golden Jaguars’, the flagship senior team commenced training in earnest ahead of next Tuesday’s clash against Anguilla set for the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Head Caoch Jamaal Shabazz took the players minus the Finland based Walter ‘Boyd’ Moore and the England based duo of Neil Danns and Samuel Cox who will be joining them on Monday, through the paces at the Guyana Defence Force ground yesterday afternoon.
Shabazz said the team is a mix of experience with a few dynamic youths involved with the focus being to build a very offensive unit.
While stating that the entire set up will be treating this assignment as the most important of their lives, Shabazz noted that ultimately, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is something that they must work hard towards qualifying.
The Head Coach also noted that all the grassroots work among other programmes that are done are evaluated by where you are at the international level when you compete.
“So for us we want to qualify for the Gold Cup tournament and to do that we have to finish in the first four in the CFU tournament. That journey of a thousand miles starts with the step against Anguilla.”
In order to make a successful first step, the Golden Jaguars is not short on leaders as the likes of Captain Christopher Nurse, Gregory Richardson, Sam Cox and Neil Danns are all well equipped leaders according to Shabazz.
“We are not short on leadership; the challenge for us is cohesion. Bringing together the squad and having everybody on one page in that short space of time, I think that is the challenge. If we get that right, I think the sky is going to be the limit.”
CROWD SUPPORT
Asked to give his take on the level of support that is required from the fans to help propel the team, Shabazz said that the fans need to understand what’s the meaning of home support. He posited that if the game was being played in Anguilla, the entire island would be out to support.
“The fans can’t play the game but they can come out and urge the team on and help the team as a 12^th man reach heights. This is the connection that football makes in a society, it gives everybody the opportunity to be part and share this passion that this game brings.”
Training would continue twice today, once tomorrow and Monday before Tuesday’s match. The Anguillans are expected to arrive tomorrow. Guyana will play Puerto Rico at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium on March 29^th. Anguilla will host Puerto Rico on March 26^th, all in Group 5 play.