“It’s personal for me” – McKinnon as U20 Qualifiers loom

Any day now, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is likely to disclose the squad that will represent Guyana at the CONCACAF U20 Championships later this month.
Earlier this month, the team hosted a trial and training camp, from which the final squad will be picked.
Quizzed about the team’s preparation, as compared to the likes of Trinidad and Jamaica whose teams have competed in international friendlies against each other, Head Coach Kayode McKinnon thinks the junior Jags have done their best considering their circumstances.

“We would like to have a lot of things done in an ideal situation, but like I mentioned, we want to play the hands that we’re being dealt to the best of our ability. You know, another person might have a better hand, but if they don’t play their hand well, but if we focus on the hand that we’re being dealt and we play it as we should; then we see at the end,” the U20 Head Coach shared.
McKinnon added, “But we want to be as positive [as we can], and we want to immerse ourselves in what we are going to deal with and that is our focus.”
On whether or not the team can progress out of the Qualifiers, McKinnon believes that it is a possibility.
“I look at it as this, we’re in a war and we don’t get to decide if we live and die, we make the decision that we want to live and that is the message. That we’re in a war and our life is depending on it and sometimes, when you’re desperate, things come out of you that you don’t know that you have in you; that’s all that matters,” McKinnon explained.
“And if we take care of that, then the result will take care of itself,” he opined.
The former Golden Jaguars international when discussing what is on the line, divulged that the undertaking to lead the team was “personal” for him.

McKinnon boldly stated, “It’s personal for me. I love this country, I grew up here, I played here and sometimes we feel like we’re not as good for many different reasons, but we talked to the boys this morning about the definition of the Jaguar. That is our culture right there, that is who we are as a people.
“So, for me, I know our people and I know what we’re capable of, and I really want our players to look past all the distractions and if we could align ourselves with what that Jaguar means, we go against all odds, we take risks.
“And that is what, as a staff, we’re bringing to this. The honesty, the genuineness of understanding how potent our people are and how success can change the entire nation. It’s really personal. My heart is in what I’m doing,” the former national footballer further stated.
Looking past questions about possible omissions and how those participating in the trial were accommodated, McKinnon made a call for support of the U20 Squad.
“I think a lot of people on the ground would’ve done their work with the situation we’re in, I keep mentioning it’s not the most ideal, but I want us, I want Guyana to come together in this moment with no distractions, and I want the people to understand that this is their team.”
McKinnon went on to state, “We should respect their opinions but it’s a time for alignment, it’s a time for coming together. So, whatever opinions are there, it is respected. However we came up with this; this is our situation and if all of us come together and drive that, then let’s criticise at the end. Let’s get the right feedback at the end, but now, it’s Guyana.”
Guyana is in Group B of the qualifiers alongside El Salvador, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname and Turks and Caicos. They will compete in Antigua from February 23 to March 2, for a spot in the Championships later this year.