Golden Jaguars to play WC Qualifiers home game against Belize in Barbados

Apr 30, 2024 Sports

Golden Jaguars Head Coach, Jamaal Shabazz

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – It has been confirmed by a reliable source that Guyana’s upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Belize on June 11 will be relocated to Barbados.

The journey for the Golden Jaguars in their pursuit of qualification for the 2026 World Cup will begin with an away match against Panama in Panama City on June 6.

Unfortunately, Guyana’s national football team faces a significant challenge in finding a suitable venue for their home matches.

Currently, the National Track and Field Centre at Edinburgh, the only facility capable of hosting international football, do not meet the required standards.

During their previous Nations League campaign, the Golden Jaguars were only able to play one home game in Guyana. Consequently, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) was fined by Concacaf due to the inadequate conditions of the facility.

As a result of this ongoing issue, home games for Guyana have been relocated to venues in Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda.

The Concacaf Qualifiers comprise three rounds involving 32 FIFA-affiliated Concacaf Member Associations.

Notably, Canada, Mexico, and the United States are excluded from participation, having already secured berths as hosts for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Golden Jaguars

In Group C, Barbados is joined by Curacao, St. Lucia, Haiti, and Aruba. Group A consists of Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Honduras, while Group B includes Bahamas, Costa Rica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Competing in Group E are Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, and the British Virgin Islands.

Anguilla will feature in Group F, where they will face El Salvador, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.

Concacaf has outlined a schedule for each nation to play four matches between June 2024 and June 2025.

Guyana’s upcoming fixtures include a journey to Nicaragua on June 6, 2025, and a scheduled home game against Montserrat on June 10.

Following the initial rounds, the top two teams from each group will advance, forming 12 teams that will be drawn into three groups of four. These countries will compete in six games from September through November 2025, with the three group winners securing qualification.

Additionally, the top two third-place teams will progress to intercontinental playoffs, which will involve one nation each from South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Furthermore, the four lowest-ranked teams will engage in single-elimination matches, with the winners advancing to face teams with byes in the subsequent stage.

Concacaf has emphasized that the victors of these matchups will secure their place in the highly anticipated 2026 tournament.

Barbados, Belize, Golden Jaguars, Qualifier, Rawle Toney

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