Johnson echoes call for stakeholder involvement

– as national team learn and train in Rio

Just after the commencement of the Golden Jaguars’ “Train and Play” camp in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Head Coach Michael Johnson has issued a call for stakeholders in Guyana to get onboard with the Guyana Football Federation’s quest to appear at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s an opportunity for everyone from Guyana, whether you live in the country, whether you are further afield to get involved,” said Johnson following a session of the ongoing camp. The encampment in Brazil is geared towards preparing the team for the CONCACAF Nations League with the long-term plan of enabling Guyana’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
As such, Johnson underscored that the vision of participating in the football World Cup eight years from now could not be fulfilled without the support of organisations outside of the GFF. “We need the help of the Government: we all know the pitches could do with some significant investment; grassroots football can do with some significant investment,” he noted.

Speaking on the recently-unveiled “Project 100”, which aims to break Guyana into the top 100 FIFA rankings, Johnson said: “We mean business; we’re not just saying we want to get into the top 100, but we want to be consistent, sustainable and stay there. We want to help the next crop of players coming through.”
The former Jamaica national player further elaborated that the aim was not to get to a top 100 ranking and then relax, but rather to continue working on bettering their ranking. “We want to be there for the next 10-15 years; we want to be a powerhouse within the Region; we want to be qualifying for World Cups and see investments coming back into Guyana, but the journey starts now,” the Head Coach said.
Johnson is challenging those who believe in the journey to come on board now. “It’s great if we all wait though, anybody can do that, but do you really believe in the message that we as a staff, we as a group of players, (GFF) President (Wayne) Forde, everybody included is saying? We are here because we mean business; we are here in Brazil to work and we will get better. We will qualify for the top 100.
“But in the process, we need the Government to back us now, we need the sponsors now to say, listen, I’m going to this journey. We’re saying get involved in the grassroots now, get involved with the infrastructure, you know, how can you help? I really believe that this is a pivotal moment for Guyanese football. We get this right, we’ll be sustainable for the next 10, 15, 20 odd years or so.”
The “Train and Play” encampment is said to be going great thus far, with the players having the opportunity to showcase their talent, proving that they are worthy to be part of the programme.