CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers: Junior Jags remain unbeaten with 2-2 draw against Costa Rica

A historic 2-2 draw has resulted from Guyana’s national under-17 boys’ football team, the Junior Jaguars, coming against their Costa Rica counterparts in Costa Rica on Thursday evening, as they fight to keep their qualification hopes alive in the CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers.
Head Coach Marco Bonofiglio opted for a starting XI that included Captain Tamer Unver, Goal-keeper Tejpal Nijjar, Kemron Pellew, Joshua Morris, Michael Joseph, Mikkel Mills, Quaency Fraser, Shaquan David, Dakari Drakes, Jaden Harris and Max Robinson.

When a miscued clearance from Max Robinson found its way into the Guyanese net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead early in the game, fans at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica erupted in cheers. However, it soon became quiet when, in the 38th minute, a Quaency Fraser service from the corner found Joshua Harris in front of the goal, and he headed the ball in for the equalizer.
Then an on-target free-kick shot taken by Marcus Brown escaped Tejpal Nijjar’s grasp in the 43rd minute, and it enabled Costa Rica to go into the half with a 2-1 lead.

In the second half, there were near misses aplenty, but the shot that mattered came in the 54th, when another corner/header combination resulted in Shaquan David equalizing for Guyana.
Reflecting on this historic draw, Head Coach Marco Bonofiglio expressed pride in the team’s performance, and opined that his charges can compete with the best in CONCACAF.
“I think what we see here is that Guyana can compete against the top teams at a top level. Remember that Costa Rica is a top team that performed in World Cups before, and yesterday [Thursday] showed that they’re definitely the top team in CONCACAF. If not one of the top teams in North America, South America, Europe, they can definitely compete,” he declared.
“Very very proud of Guyana! The way we implemented our plan – we stuck to our objectives like we’ve been working on for 3-4 weeks now – they show that they can persevere under high-stress moments against high-calibre teams in high-calibre moments. So, their mental preparation, from what I’ve seen from the first day till now, has been a huge increase, and the desire and ability to remain focused and complete the objectives coaching staff asks of the players is a very, very positive note,” he explained.
Having described the last group game to be played in these Qualifiers – against the British Virgin Islands – as a tough one, the Head Coach has signalled that he and the team intend to finish the qualifiers unbeaten.
“Looking ahead to the final game, I see another tough match. British Virgin Islands is a well-disciplined team as well, and they’re very physical team, similar to Trinidad and Tobago. I’m looking for, obviously, for the team to step up and finish the tournament strongly. Yes, we’re undefeated at this point, and I’d like to continue that. I feel like the boys are very hungry to collect three points, so we hope that we can stick with the plan,” Bonofiglio detailed.
“Yes, we’re suffering from some injuries and fatigue, as we’re playing our fourth match in 8 or 9 days. That’s going to run into some problems of its own, but we’re all staying positive. We’re going to train hard, and be ready for the field on Sunday,” he disclosed.
Guyana will take on the British Virgin Islands at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Costa Rica from 18:00hrs on Sunday, February 16. In order to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup, Guyana would need a massive win coupled with a draw result between Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago to advance. The top finisher in each of the CONCACAF Qualifiers’ 8 groups would secure a spot in the FIFA U17 World Cup, to be contested later this year.