STAG Nations Cup kicks off today at Golden Grove...Teams from GFA, Berbice & East coast to battle; NSC on board

STAG Nations Cup kicks off today at Golden Grove…Teams from GFA, Berbice & East coast to battle; NSC on board

Dec 14, 2016 Sports

The STAG Nations Cup knock-out, five association football championship is set to kick off today at the Golden Grove ground, East Coast Demerara, with teams from Georgetown, Berbice and East Coast to aiming to stake a claim for the top prize of 2 Million dollars.

Director of Sport Christopher Jones (left) hands over footballs to EBFA President, Franklin Wilson.

There is no room for mistakes in this format of the game and thoughts of a win is all that each of the four teams on display tonight will be harbouring as the minutes tick down to kick-off time.
Facing off in the feature match will be home team Golden Stars against Berbice’ New Amsterdam United. Home advantage might give the Stars the edge in this match but the lads from the East will be as confident as the host team tonight.
Golden Stars will look to the likes of Akowo Jack, Derick Thomas, Calvin Lilly, Victor Solomon, Stephon Walcott, Peter Wilson, Kelvin Glasgow, Collis Josiah, Alex Mahaica, Lloyd Daniels, Malcolm Walcott, Jamal Woodman, Roundel Liverpool, Carlos Kingston, Mellon Semple, Dequan Douglas, Shamar Kingston, Cevon Montrose, Jeffrey Charles, Andy Stephen, Ottis Wright and Randy King to deliver a win for them tonight.
NA United will hope to spoil the home team party and will unleash the following players in their hope to achieve same: Adrian Adams (Captain), Leonardo Adams, Jason Drakes, Quinn Hazel, Rei Joseph, Delroy Dean, Jamal Butts, Jeremy Samuels, Dexter Allen, Julian Success, Garfield Millington, Shkeel Grant, Ron Lyken, Omari Bentham, Jovano Dos Santos, Keon Williams, Dwayne Alleyne, Graham Thomas, Joshua Wilson, Ray Reddock, Sion Bacchus and Steffon Boucher.
The opening match between City side Flamingo’s and Berbice’ Mahaicony Thunderhawks will be an interesting affair as neither of the two teams are familiar with each other but the experienced Flamingo’s with chief tactician Shem Porter at the helm starting with the advantage of getting into the round of 16.
There to back up Porter will be another elder statesman Leon Yaw, Quincy Bourne, Deshawn Wills, Chad Rodrigues, Matthew Fletcher and Isaiah Thomas among others.
The Thunderhawks will be aiming to soar to victory and will depend on their following players to see them through. Delbert Wilson (Captain), Ozese Halley, Leroy Halley, Shaka Drennon, Mark Roberts, Tyron Tappin, Burton Shepherd, David Belgrave, Sheldon Toney, Troy Semple, Sherwyn Wills, Cleyton Roberts, David Cameron, Renrick Bynoe, Keion Sobers, Davendra Thuknauth, Ruel Chester, Fitzpatrick Chester, Wayne McKenzie, Alestear Bovell, Kenroy Doguyar and Newt Mahaica.
Meanwhile, Director of Sport Christopher Jones has made a contribution of footballs to the organisers in the interest of the continued development of the players and the game.
Jones, who is expected to officially kick off the tournament later this evening at the Golden Grove ground, noted that the National Sports Commission is very happy to see five (East Bank, East Demerara, West Demerara, Berbice, Georgetown) of the affiliates of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) coming together to match skills over the next three weeks culminating with the final of New Year’s Night at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
”I would like to wish the teams every success but only one will come out victors on the final night and walk away with the top prize of 2Million dollars. To my mind however, every team is a winner. I would like to see very competitive matches and also applaud the fact that matches are going to be played at multiple venues which will afford many of the teams’ fans to cheer them on at home.”
Jones also noted that the NSC and government are committed to the real development of not only football but sports across the board and this fact is evident in the increased allocation for sports in the recently presented National Budget.