Guyana, Anguilla kicked out of Concacaf U20 qualifiers

Mar 03, 2026 Sports

…Concacaf suspend players from both countries

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – Disappointment has engulfed Guyana’s Young Golden Jaguars after Concacaf confirmed the nation’s disqualification from the ongoing Concacaf Under-20 Qualifiers, bringing an abrupt and controversial end to what had been a promising campaign.

The ruling stems from incidents that occurred during Guyana’s match against Anguilla on Saturday at the Stadion Rignaal Jean Francisca in Curacao.

Following a physical altercation involving players from both teams, the Concacaf Disciplinary Committee launched a formal review of the matter.

After examining evidence and documentation in accordance with its Disciplinary Code, the Committee initially ruled the match a forfeit in favour of Guyana.

The decision was taken after Anguilla received five red cards, reducing their squad below the minimum number of players required under the Laws of the Game to continue. As a result, the 5-0 scoreline in Guyana’s favour was upheld.

However, in a significant blow to both programmes, Concacaf went further by disqualifying both Anguilla and Guyana from the remainder of the competition.

All outstanding matches involving the two teams will now be recorded as 3-0 forfeits in favour of their respective opponents. Additionally, undisclosed fines have been imposed on both associations.

Individual sanctions were also handed down.

Four-match suspensions were issued to five Anguillan players (Keondre Belle, Keante Brooks, Shemor Browne, Khalique Jackson and Cardinae Rennie) and to four Guyanese players (Mateo Clark, Shaquan David, Sheldon Kendall and Max Robinson).

The suspended players are required to serve their four-match bans in the next official matches of their representative team in the same age group in a Concacaf or FIFA competition.

Should the suspension not be fully served at the Under-20 level, it will carry over to the next highest age category in Concacaf or FIFA competition.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in a statement acknowledging receipt of the final ruling, confirmed that Guyana has been disqualified from further participation in the tournament.

The Federation accepted the decision of the Disciplinary Committee, describing the outcome as “deeply disappointing” given the trajectory of the U20 programme.

Having reviewed video recordings of the altercation in its possession, the GFF stated that it concluded the incident was neither provoked nor instigated by Guyana’s players.

Nevertheless, the Federation highlighted that it maintains an unwavering expectation of the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and respect for the game from all players and staff.

National teams representing Guyana internationally, the GFF noted, carry a heightened responsibility to serve as exemplary ambassadors for both the Federation and the country.

In this instance, it acknowledged that some players did not meet that standard.

The Federation has committed to learning from the episode and undertaking a comprehensive internal review to determine what additional measures can be implemented to better equip players and staff to manage high-pressure situations in future competitions.

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Anguilla, Concacaf U20 qualifiers, GFF, Guyana Golden Jaguars

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