‘An important result’ – Shabazz

…As Golden Jaguars pick up three points in World Cup Qualifiers

Story and photos by Jemima Holmes in Barbados

It was a comeback straight out of a fairytale for the Golden Jaguars on Tuesday evening at the Wildey Turf in Barbados, as they rebounded from a loss to Panama last week to keep their FIFA 2026 World Cup hopes alive.
In what was supposed to be a home game for the senior men’s national team, Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz opted for a starting XI that consisted of Captain Elliot Bonds, Goal-keeper Quillan Roberts, and Leo Lovell, Terrence Vancooten, Jalen Jones, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Stephen Duke-McKenna, Liam Gordon, Daniel Wilson, Deon Moore and Omari Glasgow.
Guyana was clearly the hungrier side from the onset, and it was evident in their constant possession of the ball. However, the Guyanese build up and finishing was just not clicking in the first 45 minutes.

The Golden Jags’ first real chance came in just the 15th minute, when the Belizean keeper Woodrow West got some fingers to a shot across the face of the goal from Omari Glasgow. About 7 minutes later, Glasgow was again a main character in a shot on target, which a deflection off a Belizean defender gifted the Jaguars nothing but a set piece from the corner.
Another set piece almost brought the Golden Jaguars’ bench to their feet, when a short-pass play sent the ball ballooning into the air in the box, but the header from the Guyanese was unsuccessful.

In the time that the Guyanese outfit kept Belize’s West on his toes, their opposition had but one clear chance at the goal – a shot which ricocheted off the post and back into play. As such, the half ended in a stalemate.
Instead of going for the early substitute in the second, Coach Shabazz opted to persist with his initial eleven, and it eventually paid off.
Guyana would’ve had their first goal around the 55th minute, when a brilliant finish from Glasgow off a Deon Moore assist was witnessed. As the Golden Jags celebrated what could’ve been, the referee determined Glasgow was offside, and as such, overruled the goal.

But the taste of celebration was the ultimate motivation for the Guyanese outfit, and they soon found their first strike the right way. Deon Moore broke the ice in the 66th minute after a lengthy build up in the box, while Liam Gordon made it a 2-0 affair just 1 minute later, as he sprinted down the right wing to slot one into the corner of the goal.
Then a giveaway by the Belizean defence allowed Glasgow to gain possession of the ball, and he sent it rocketing to the other side of the goal, where it was met by Moore, who needed only to tap the ball into the nets to add to his personal tally and Guyana’s in the 71st.
However, spirits fell in the 88th, as a mix-up in the Guyanese box caused goal-keeper Roberts to concede a goal off the boots of Carlos Roberto Bernardez Garcia.
In spite of this disappointment, the introduction of Ryan ‘Bom Bom’ Hackett brought a spark back to the hungry Jaguars with a few powerful shots on target. However, time expired with the scores still locked at 3-1.
Following the encounter, Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz spoke exclusively with Guyana Times Sport to relate how important Tuesday night’s victory is for their campaign. Shabazz told this publication, “I think it was an important result for us. Difficult first half, but we stuck to the task and got the result, got the goals in the second half; and we are very, very pleased, both with the performance and the result.”
The Head Coach, explaining why spirits dropped in the side after conceding a solitary goal to Belize, detailed how crucial that might turn out to be. He said, “It was a sore point for us, because it could come down to goals next year, when you’re battling for a spot. So, it was a little sore point for us; but for now, we focus on the positives, that we still come out on top, but it is something that hasn’t gone down too well,” Shabazz explained.
The Golden Jaguars will have to wait almost another year for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, as they are scheduled to take on Nicaragua on June 6, 2025 and Montserrat on June 10.