Holder, Kellman return in Golden Jags 23-man Gold Cup squad

Head Coach Marcio Maximo, and by extension the GFF, quite early this time around released a 23-man squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminaries, a week and five days before the Golden Jaguars take to the field.
A handful of notable changes have been made in the Senior Men’s National Team that would represent Guyana next weekend at the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021 preliminary qualification round. The 23-man squad is comprised of 12 local players and 11 foreign- based players.
The Golden Jags will be tasked with defeating Guatemala on July 3 in order to move on to the next round of qualification games for the Gold Cup.
As compared to their last World Cup 2022 roster, Defenders Miguel Scarlett and Bayli Spencer-Adams, midfielder Pernell Schultz, and Forward Osafa Simpson have been dropped from the team.
On the other hand, Bolton Wanderers FC defender Reiss Greenidge and Bournemouth FC forward Connor Kurran-Browne have been recruited, with Midfielder Curtez Kellman and forward Sheldon Holder making their long-awaited returns.
The remainder of the team reads: Goalkeepers Akel Clarke, Kai McKenzie-Lyle, Shawn Adonis; Defense: Marcus Wilson, Matthew Briggs, Liam Gordon, Terence Vancooten, Nicholai Andrews, Kevin Layne; Midfielders: Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Javier George, Daniel Wilson, Job Caesar, Stephen Duke-McKenna; and Forwards: Keanu Marsh-Brown, Omari Glasgow, Kelsey Benjamin, Trayon Bobb and Emery Welshman.
In the staff positions, Wayne Dover has been added as an Assistant Coach alongside Assistant Coach Charles Pollard, head Coach Marcio Maximo and Goalkeeper Coach Eon DeVieira.
Some other prominent changes in the Golden Jags squad see Marcus Wilson being moved from midfield to defense, the position he plays for Santos FC. Stephen Duke-Mckenna has also been bumped up to the midfield, after being listed as a forward in Guyana’s last four matches. McKenna was dominant in Guyana’s midfield during their encounters with St. Kitts and Puerto Rico earlier this month.
The remaining players on Guyana’s 60-man provisional tournament squad list will be placed on standby. According to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), “After the deadline for submission, changes will only be allowed in the event of force majeure or injury up until 24 hours before each team’s group stage first match. All changes must be approved by CONCACAF.”
The Golden Jaguars meeting with Guatemala is scheduled for the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 9.30pm local time, and should they make it over that hurdle, they will turn their attention to the winner of the Guadeloupe vs the Bahamas fixture on July 6.
Winning that game will guarantee entry into Group C of the Gold Cup, which is set to run from July 10 to August 1. Group C currently consists of Costa Rica, Jamaica and Suriname.