Barrow to lead Guyana’s 14-man squad at FIFA U-15 tournament

Defender Nyron Barrow will captain a 14-member Guyana squad at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the young Golden Jaguars will begin their campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran on October 24.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) announced the squad on Friday as preparations continued for the team’s departure. The players will join more than 3000 footballers, coaches and officials from around the world at the event.
Head Coach Trevon Lythcott will lead the technical staff, supported by Assistant Coach Jamal Pedro and Goalkeeper Coach Delon Young. The squad brings together locally based and overseas-based players.
Guyana will play five qualification-stage matches from October 24 to 26 at the Hovsan Competition Complex. The tournament will use an eight-a-side format, with each match comprising two 20-minute halves.
According to the GFF’s schedule, Guyana will face Iran at 11:30h on October 24 before meeting Mauritius at 10:15h and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 17:00h. on October 25. Their remaining qualification matches are against Brunei Darussalam at 09:00h and Vietnam at 15:45h on October 26.
Barrow, who represents Western Tigers Football Club (FC), is one of four defenders selected. He is joined by Tyler Abrams of Den Amstel FC and the Vurlon Mills Football Academy pair of Joel Griffith and Lawrence Wong.
The midfield comprises Mark Stewart of South Side High School International, Kijani Drakes of Met Oval Academy International, Mateo Morel of Florida Kraze Krush FC, Jashan Haynes of Vurlon Mills Football Academy and Malachi Muhammad of Den Amstel FC.
Joel Stephen of Buxton Stars FC, Jaden Christian of Fruta Conquerors FC and Callum La-Rose of North Toronto FC provide the attacking options. Christiano Solomon of Paradise Invaders FC and Royston Winter of Gladiators FC are the two goalkeepers.
GFF President Wayne Forde credited the U-15 Youth Ensemble Championship with helping the federation identify and assess players capable of progressing to national duty. He said the competition gave the technical staff an organised setting in which to evaluate emerging talent and support its development.
Forde said the GFF intended to devote more time, funding and technical support to youth football, recognising that the strength of future national teams would depend on the opportunities available to young players.
He described the Azerbaijan tournament as a chance for the selected players to experience international competition, encounter different football cultures and better understand the demands of the professional game. The federation, he added, would continue working to help more young footballers advance through its development programme.
The inaugural event is intended to widen access to international football, particularly for FIFA member associations that face difficulties qualifying for established competitions. It will also allow participating countries to assess their development against opponents from different football environments while encouraging exchanges among young players.
For Guyana, the tournament offers an opportunity to test the squad against unfamiliar playing styles and build experience for its continued involvement in the national programme. Ahead of departure, the GFF wished the players and technical staff well and urged them to represent the country with pride, discipline and determination.