Junior Jags’ 5-0 triumph ends in fistfight

A commanding victory for Guyana’s national under-20 football team was reduced to turmoil on Saturday evening, as they took on Anguilla in their second fixture of the ongoing CONCACAF U20 Qualifiers at the Rignaal “Jean” Francisca Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao.
Head Coach Thomas Dooley opted to start the contest with Captain Jaden Thom, goalkeeper Emmanuel Lewis, Walker Shabazz-Edwards, Max Robinson, Dakarai Drakes, Mateo Clarke, Jamal Fraser, Shaquan David, Bryan Wharton, Quancey Fraser and Sheldon Kendall.
Guyana got their scoring started early with a build- up on the edge of the box involving Fraser and Thom. Thom would eventually register the assist, sending the ball into the six-yard area where Kendall whipped the ball into the net in the fourth minute with a right-footed shot for the first goal.
Fourteen minutes later, Wharton extended their lead, receiving another excellent pass from Thom on the edge of the penalty area. Wharton displayed his fancy footwork, driving past the defence to finish with a cheeky shot from the outside of his left foot.

Wharton completed his brace in the 23rd minute, after Kendall forced an error by the Anguillan keeper Shemar Browne. Forced to get rid of the ball, Browne only sent it as far as Wharton on the left wing. The Guyanese ace wasted no time, chipping the ball back over the head of the keeper from about 25 yards out for Guyana’s third strike.
Fraser’s through ball to Clarke resulted in Guyana’s fourth goal by the 41st minute, as Clarke made no mistake with the shot, sending it into the left corner of the net.
With a 4-0 lead at the half, it looked as though the Junior Jaguars were well on their way to an even bigger victory, but Anguilla’s counter attacks and heightened aggression in the second segment halted the flow of Guyana’s goals.
They could not stop Kendall, however, who capitalised on the assist from Isaiah Ifill to complete his brace in the 57th minute.
The clash descended into chaos by the 86thh minute when a second yellow and ensuing red card shown to Anguilla’s Mekhi Connor caused an exchange of words between the players. The arguments quickly became physical, with an all-out, violent fist fight unfolding between the Anguilla and Guyana teams.
When the dust finally settled, four Guyanese players were shown red cards – Clarke, Kendall, Robinson and David. Yellow cards were also shown to goalkeepers Lewis and Jermine Mitchell.
The red cards especially will come as a detriment to the Guyanese side who would have needed those starters for their upcoming clash with current group leaders Haiti, today, Monday, March 2. That game is scheduled for 20:00h local time at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Guyanese football authorities shared a statement on the incident, stating, “The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) wishes to address the incident that occurred this evening during our national team’s fixture in the CONCACAF U-20 Men’s Qualifiers in Curaçao.
In approximately the 86th minute of the match, the referee issued a red card to a player from Anguilla. Following this decision, there was a sequence of hostile verbal exchanges and jostling between players of both teams. During this period, an Anguillan player ran into a group of players and appeared to have struck a Guyanese player, which precipitated a broader altercation involving several players.
“As a result of the escalation, the match was abandoned. Multiple players from both teams were subsequently issued red and yellow cards. We understand that an official investigation into the matter is ongoing, and we await confirmed details from the relevant authorities.
“The GFF can confirm that all Guyanese players and staff have returned safely to their hotel, and there have been no reports of any serious injuries arising from the incident.
The Guyana Football Federation remains committed to the principles of fair play, respect, and discipline that underpin the game. We will provide further updates as more verified information becomes available.”
Guyana will need a victory today to keep their CONCACAF Under-20 Championship dreams alive, since only the six group winners from the ongoing Qualifiers will advance to the Championships, set for later this year.