…welcomes large number of hinterland players in training camp
By Jemima Holmes
The CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Qualifiers are less than a month away, and it is ample time that the local U20 team gets down and dirty with their preparation.
Following weeks of tryouts and assiduous work, Under-20 Head Coach Wayne Dover has admitted that the task ahead of the team is quite a difficult one. Nonetheless, Dover remains optimistic as he whips his team into shape.
U20 Men’s Head Coach Wayne Dover
Come November, a Guyanese male under-20 football team will set out to do the unthinkable – qualify for the Under-20 World Cup and Olympics at once. Having commenced their training months ago, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has even scouted overseas talents and included them in a local ongoing training camp.
As the setup is expected to transform into a full-time camp soon, Under-20 Head Coach Wayne Dover says the task ahead is a tough one for Guyana’s teenage ballers, but it is a fantastic achievement.
Glimpses of the U20 team in action at the GFF’s Providence Training Centre
“That would be a fantastic thing to happen for us as a football nation to actually qualify for a youth championship. However, I must say that the task is not an easy one. We’ve noticed that recently CONCACAF has changed the situation, where many of the lads out there is from 18 years old downwards. So, we’re there with a number of young kids with a huge responsibility of fetching the nation in the Under-20 World Cup qualifier. And the thing that is more troubling to us is the fact that CONCACAF also made this championship turn into the Olympics qualifier. So, these lads are qualifying this nation for two major tournaments at the age of 18, 17, 16. That is, that is a travesty to me,” the Coach told sports journalists at the GFF’s National Training Centre on Monday afternoon.
Glimpses of the U20 team in action at the GFF’s Providence Training Centre
Like many other aspects of life, the coronavirus pandemic has affected the way that the GFF has operated in its scouting exercise. For this reason, Dover disclosed, they resorted to Talent ID initiatives.
“We saw many countries come back from a break and start the season. Unfortunate for the Caribbean nations and probably some of the North Americas, we haven’t fully start back, so, definitely that has played a part in pegging back stuff,” Dover revealed.
The Head Coach went on to add, “And we had to resort to the talent identification across the nation as well as North America to arrive at a squad to actually start this preparation. So, the pandemic I have heard it say, and it’s kind of disrupt life many people.”
Glimpses of the U20 team in action at the GFF’s Providence Training Centre
However, this particular process had led to the selection of a number of talented players from the hinterland regions, a situation that Coach Dover highly appreciates.
“I thought they came out and they adapted well, you know. Immediately we saw a few of them made an impact in the training. But I must say too that in my entire time in football, I think this is about the first and I’ve seen so many hinterland players in a national team at any one time. So, this is to me, this argues well for the people in the hinterlands, that they are producing and we just need to continue to go there and tap into the rich talent that is hidden, and has been hidden for so many years,” he said on the matter.
Aside from the inclusion of hinterland players, a number of foreign-based players are training in Guyana with the locals, a move which will see them adjusting properly to tropical conditions.
Dover stated, “And we didn’t want a situation where they come in just before the departure, and then they struggle in this tropical side of the world, where the character adjusted the heat. And we already saw a couple of them in the session on Saturday who was struggling a bit with the heat. And we’re only hoping that they quickly overcome the conditions and they integrate properly with the team, so that we could get maximum effort from them when the championships start.”
Soon enough, the camp will be cut down to a 20-man squad. It is a moment that the Head Coach is dreading, given the immense talent on show. The Coach touched on this topic while sharing about the atmosphere in training.
“It’s very nervous time. It’s on the eve of breaking down the squad to the final 20-man, and you know while some are eager to hear these names call, some are very nervous, and we could all know that is part of it. So, I’m feeling emotional because I know some of the lads will have to leave today,” Dover stated.
He continued, “However, I spoke to them and I let them understand that it’s not the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world for them. And they need to continue working, keep their phones on, and wait for the next phone call.”
Quizzed about his thoughts on the team’s chances, an optimistic Dover disclosed that team members would be putting their best foot forward.
“We will enter the tournament being very optimistic and looking to try to qualify and go to the next round, which is the championship round to qualify for the World Cup and the Olympics. And we will give it our best shot to get there,” the Head Coach shared.
The Under-20 tournament is scheduled for November 5-14 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Guyana has been placed in Group D with Nicaragua, Cayman Islands and the U.S Virgin Islands.
