Guyana U17 Girls depart for CONCACAF Championship

The Guyana U17 Girls’ national team has departed for the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship, to be played in the Dominican Republic, and Assistant Coach Levi Braithwaite has stepped up to replace Head Coach Akilah Castello, who was unable to travel due to a personal emergency.
The diverse 20-player squad, featuring young women based in Orealla, Kamarang, Kwakwani, Georgetown and the United States, will face the winner of Group E in the Round of 16 in San Cristobel on Saturday, April 30.
Unbeaten tournament favourites Mexico, top of the group with one game left to play and a very large goal difference, are virtually guaranteed to be Guyana’s opponents.
The Guyana-based squad has been in intensive training at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) National Training Centre in Providence ahead of the tournament.
“We wish the girls all the best in the Dominican Republic, as they fly the flag for Guyana at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship,” said GFF President Wayne Forde. “This is the first time we have reached the final stages of this tournament in back-to-back qualifications, which shows the tangible progress we are making at this level, thanks to continuous investments in our Guyana-wide programme and scouting efforts in the diaspora.
“We know the team will face very strong opponents in this stage of the competition, so it is important to manage our expectations,” Forde said. “However, we can be sure that the squad and staff will make us all proud, on and off the field of the play.
“This Concacaf tournament is another excellent opportunity for our players and staff to showcase their talent and play at a higher level than they are used to, and to learn and develop as we build capacity and capabilities for the future.”
Guyana qualified for the 2022 championship by finishing second in their qualification group, registering wins against Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and being defeated by Honduras in October and November 2021.