Jamaal Shabazz, Head Coach of the Guyana senior men’s national team the Golden Jaguars, has said the 24 players selected for the Trinidad and Tobago international friendlies on May 13 and 15 have impressed him during the KFC Elite League Season Six Round One and the rigorous training sessions this week.
Shabazz shared that the three goalkeepers, six defenders, eleven midfielders, and four forwards were drawn from clubs that included Guyana Defence Force FC, Slingerz FC, Guyana Police Force FC and Santos FC because they “showed they can do well locally, so now we’re going to give them a taste of international football.”
Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz engaging Assistant Coach Wayne Dover
Both matches will be played at 7pm at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The players are all aiming to secure their spots in the final squad for the upcoming Concacaf Qualifiers for the World Cup 2026.
“These matches are going to answer some questions for some of these boys: if they are ready for international football or not, or if they need a little more time. In my judgement, the fact that we’ve selected them, I think they are. So, questions are going to be answered in terms of their performance,” Shabazz has said.
The head coach noted that the team has a solid blend of players with prior international experience, who will provide a firm foundation alongside newcomers eager to leave their imprint on the team.
The roster includes some recognisable figures, such as defenders Jeremy Garrett and Curtez Kellman; midfielders Daniel Wilson and Leo Lovell; and forward Kelsey Benjamin.
Their contributions were integral to the Golden Jaguars’ undefeated campaign in the Concacaf National League 2023/2024, which led to Guyana’s historic promotion to League A, achieved alongside Trinidad and Tobago.
A look at the local contingent of the Golden Jaguars in training
The home-based players are four fresh talents with Guyanese heritage, who hail from Canada, France and the United States and are making their debut appearances with the Golden Jaguars.
“We had four sessions, so it has gone well. They guys have been very enthusiastic. They have worked hard, they been on time, they have been disciplined. I can’t ask much more of them, other than now to go to Trinidad to carry the courage and confidence that they have shown in the training,” Shabazz has said.
Goalkeepers: Jamaine Cumberbatch, Amari Thompson and Simon Emmanuel
Defenders: Jeremy Garret, Curtez Kellman, Quincy Adams, Colin Nelson, Kevin Layne and Cedric Osborn.
Midfielders: Leo Lovell, Bevan Baker, Terique Mohammed, Amos Ramsay, Nicolai Andrews, Ryan Hackett, Simeon Moore, Daniel Wilson, Chris Macey, Darron Niles and Solomon Austin.
Forwards: Kelsey Benjamin, Marcus Tudor, Anthony Smith and Stephen McDonald.
The Golden Jaguars face a daunting path in the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Second Round, from June 2024 to 2025, in Group D alongside Panama, Nicaragua, Montserrat and Belize.
The qualification process has three stages involving thirty-two FIFA-affiliated Concacaf Member Associations. The first round featured the lowest-ranked Member Associations — Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and Anguilla.
In the Second Round, which includes the winners of the first round and the remaining twenty-eight participating Member Associations, Guyana will engage in a series of four matches split evenly between home and away fixtures.
Only the group winners and runners-up would progress to the third and final round of Qualifiers.
During the Final Round, second-round group winners and runners-up — totalling twelve teams — will be segregated into three groups of four teams each. These teams would vie in six home-and-away matches across the FIFA international match windows of September, October and November 2025.
The winning trio from these groups would secure their slots in the prestigious World Cup.
Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde and Head Coach Shabazz are focused on preparing the national team through consistent on-field action, which includes participation in international friendlies.
The objective is clear: the Golden Jaguars are striving to secure direct qualification for their inaugural World Cup appearance, alongside hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Completing the official roster for the Trinidad and Tobago international friendlies are Assistant Coach Wayne Dover, Goalkeeper Coach Eon DeViera, Manager Rawle Adams, Equipment Manager Trevor Burnett, and Equipment Officer N-Zinga Maxwell.
“We ready to go on the doorstep of Trinidad and Tobago and take the fight to them,” Shabazz has said.
The team is scheduled to leave Guyana for Trinidad and Tobago on May 11.
