Bonofiglio begins scouting local players ahead of Nations League

After being appointed as Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National Football team back in July, Marco Bonofiglio will soon have his first assignment in the post as the Golden Jaguars gear up for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League.
The national team was drawn in Group C of League B, alongside Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, and Dominica, against which they will play home and away matches in the September, October, and November international windows.
Having assisted with the team before, Bonofiglio disclosed his excitement at assuming the gaffer’s spot.
The new Head Coach divulged, “Obviously, I’m known to Guyana, so I thank them for having me and accepting me again. I was obviously the Head Coach of the U17s, part of the U20 staff as well, and now it’s an exciting time to be part of the Golden Jags as a Head Coach. I had many camps as an Assistant Coach, first as Assistant to Coach Dover and Coach Dooley, and now this is my first camp as a Head Coach. So, very excited, very eager to get started with the guys,” he added.
Bonofiglio is currently in Guyana and has been taking in some Elite League matches in order to have a closer look at the local players on offer.
“Being here, being able to look at the domestic players in this domestic league, I think it’s very important; a very important piece of the puzzle as we close down on choosing our final roster. Right now, the roster is not completely set, but it should be set in another 10-14 days; in about two weeks we’ll have that roster, and that’s why I’m here taking a look at the domestic players,” the Head Coach revealed.
While the National team is set for a long, back-to-back, four-game campaign across September and October, the Head Coach shared why there will be no friendlies.
Bonofiglio responded, “Unfortunately not. Most of our players are in season right now. The international players as well, they’re in season. So, regarding matches and time, we’re good with the players. Obviously, it’s the beginning of the season for most, so I think when we get to camp on the 20th of September in Dominica, we’ll be ready.”
As such, the new gaffer went on to share expectations, not just for the competition but also for his players.
He highlighted, “First of all, we want to set the standard high. It’s a high bar that we’ve placed; when you look at our opponents, all of them are very good teams. It’s not an easy affair at all, but when we look at our past and our pathway that we’ve been coming along, we’re on a pretty good trajectory right now.”
“So, we want to keep that going, keep the positive mentality, have the right mindset, and I’m looking for all my players to come in with a proper attitude to camp,” he further stated.
The Golden Jaguars will come up against Puerto Rico in their opening fixtures on Thursday, September 24, at 15:00h at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica, before facing the Cayman Islands on Sunday, September 27, also at 15:00h at Windsor Park. They will then jet off to Puerto Rico, where they take on Dominica on Thursday, October 1, at 17:00h at the Estadio José Antonio Figueroa Freyre in Mayagüez, before concluding the window against the same opponent on Sunday, October 4, at 15:00h, at the same venue.