CONCACAF Nations League: Suriname ease past Golden Jaguars in League A debut

Story and photos by Jemima Holmes

The reality of ascending to League A was harsh and unfeeling for Guyana’s senior men’s national football team who suffered a disappointing 3-1 loss to Suriname upon their debut into the highest league that CONCACAF had to offer.
With a few curious changes as compared to their successful League B campaign just a year ago, Coach Jamaal Shabazz opted for a starting XI that consisted of Captain Elliott Bonds, Goalkeeper Quillian Roberts, Terrence Vancooten, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Kadell Daniel, Curtez Kellman, Reiss Greenidge, Daniel Wilson, Deon Moore, Isaiah Jones, and Omari Glasgow.
The neighbourly clash with Guyana’s eastern neighbours at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), West Coast Demerara (WCD), seemingly began as an evenly-poised match-up, with both team’s chances going abegging in the early minutes of the clash.
However, Suriname were the ones to grab the ice through Djevencio van der Kust in the 17th minute. Van der Kust was able to find some room around him in the box and sent a chance past a defender and goalkeeper Roberts into the far corner of the goal.
Suriname had the opportunity to make it a 2-0 affair two minutes later, but the confusion in the box was quelled by a tackle from behind by Guyana’s Daniel.

Just before the half expired, the Golden Jaguars were able to pull one back for a 1-1 score by the interval. Newbie to the Golden Jaguars set-up, Isaiah Jones was pulled down in the box, resulting in a penalty opportunity for the Jaguars.
Thereafter, Omari Glasgow made no mistake in finding the back of the net in the 43rd minute.
At the top of the second segment, Stephen Duke-McKenna made his entrance into the game as a substitute for Daniel Wilson and as expected, brought his usual intensity to the clash. However, Duke-McKenna’s effort was no solution to Guyana’s shotty-looking midfield, which often resulted in a disconnect between defence and the wingers, Glasgow and Jones, who were working overtime.

Osaze De Rosario also made his entrance to the game and minutes later, had the opportunity of a lifetime to put Guyana ahead. De Rosario dribbled past the Surinamese keeper in the box and looked well on his way to handing Guyana the lead. However, he, unfortunately, over-chucked the ball and slipped, leaving enough room for a Surinamese defender to intercept.
As finishing began to look like an issue for the Golden Jaguars, their frustrations grew when Jaden Montnor found the back of the net to give Suriname the lead in the 66th minute.
Montnor caught a loose ball in the box and met no resistance from Bonds, who was almost at his side. The Surinamese striker then directed the shot between the keeper and the near post for the goal.
Then, the lead was extended by Guyana’s eastern neighbours when Vancooten miscued a return shot on a long ball and lost his footing. Suriname’s Virgil Misidjan got to the loose ball in no time and caught Roberts off his line, almost at the top of the 18-yard box. The Dutch player, calmly approaching the net, went wide, forcing Roberts to commit to a stretch and as such, was able to leave the keeper in the dust, tapping the ball in for Suriname’s third.
As boisterous chants from the crowd brought the late introduction of Kelsey Benjamin and Ryan Hackett, the Golden Jaguars’ finishing woes continued.
The Golden Jaguars will now shift their focus to Martinique who they will come up against on Monday, September 9 on the opponents’ home turf.