The Lady Jags are one win away from securing their spot in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup Prelims
Guyana’s senior women’s national football team, the Lady Jags, were unstoppable at the Dr. IR Franklin Essed Stadium in Suriname on Wednesday night, crafting a spectacular 9-0 victory over Dominica to strengthen their chances of finishing number 1 in their CONCACAF Road to W Gold Cup Group.
Head Coach Omar Khan opted for a staring XI that included Goalkeeper Chante Sandiford as captain, supported by Anya Tribune, Rylee Traicoff, Kristen Bettencourt, Anika Sproxton, Jalade Trim, Brianne Desa, Sefani Kouzas, Otesha Charles, Annalisa Vincent and Shanice Alferd, and results were almost instantaneous after the first whistle was sounded.
With a powerful left-footed strike from just outside the box, Otesha Charles gave Guyana a 1-0 advantage in just the fourth minute.
Shanice Alferd extended the lead in the 19th when she converted on a delivery after a short pass from a corner kick, while a penalty opportunity in the 28th taken by Brianne Desa brought up Guyana’s third.
Capitalizing on an assist from Alfred, Stefani Kouzas took a shot from outside the box, guiding the ball into the top-right corner to make it a 4-0 affair in the 34th.
Annalisa Vincent then struck inside the area in the 38th, finding a lob pass from Desa to cement a strong 5-0 lead before halftime.
When the second segment resumed, the Guyanese ladies took some time to get back to their goal-scoring ways, but it was Anya Tribune who added her name to the scoresheet in the 61st, after pushing the ball past the goal line following a set-piece play.
Charles returned to net her second in the 74th, striking first time with her right foot past goalkeeper Celia Gregoire.
It took Charles only 5 more minutes to secure her hat trick, after outrunning the defense and slipping the ball between keeper and defender for Guyana’s 8th goal.
Vincent headed in her second of the night in the 88′, connecting with a Charles service off a corner to complete the 9-0 win.
In a missive, Head Coach Omar Khan said he was happy with the team’s performance, which was an incredible display of skill and teamwork.
“I think we did a good job scoring nine times. We emphasised that we had to keep up the pace and try to score a lot of goals. It’s good for their confidence, being together as a team since Monday,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic squad to work with, fantastic staff to work with. I think that for the spectators looking and rooting for Guyana, they saw some good goals. Also, a lot of players scored, so it was a real team effort.”
Khan said his squad is ready for the last group stage match against Antigua and Barbuda, the team that inflicted Guyana’s sole defeat in the tournament. The Lady Jags succumbed to a 2-1 loss in their inaugural game back in September against the Caribbean side.
“We are ready for Antigua. We have to make up for the loss, our only loss until now. It was our first game, and I think we did a good job since then. So, I think the team knows that we need at least one point, but of course we are going for three, to stand out in the league and be promoted to…the Prelims. So that will be the aim. We’re ready for that, and yeah, we’re confident,” Khan shared.
Guyana currently lead Group A of League B with 12 points, accumulated from 4 wins in 5 games. Meanwhile Suriname are second with 9 points from 5 games, followed by Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica respectively.
A victory or a draw in Sunday’s game will seal Guyana’s spot in next year’s CONCACAF W Gold Cup Preliminaries.
The December 3 clash between the Lady Jags and Antigua and Barbuda is set to be contested at the same Surinamese venue, with kickoff from 17:00hrs local time.
