Guyana’s senior women’s football team, after stumbling in their first qualifying match back in September, completed an unbeaten run in five games to finish on top in their Group and seal qualification to next year’s inaugural CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup preliminaries, on the back of a composed 3-0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday night.
Of course, Antigua were a team to watch carefully, having been the only team to stun the Lady Jags in a 2-1 defeat back in September.
Guyana’s starting XI for the all-important game at the Dr IR Franklin Essed Stadium in Suriname read: Captain and goalkeeper Chante Sandiford, Anika Sproxton, Rylee Traicoff, Kristen Bettencourt, Anya Tribune, Brianne Desa, Stefani Kouzas, Shanice Alfred, Jalade Trim, Annalisa Vincent, and Otesha Charles.
Unlike their last game, where they thumped Dominica 9-0; the Lady Jags did not get off to a flyer, taking quite a few minutes to get on the scoresheet.
When the time came, however, it was Region One’s Annalisa Vincent, who back-heeled the ball into the net, after a cross from Charles and an assist from Alfred in the 38th minute.
The Lady Jags celebrate their win and Gold Cup prelims qualification
The Antiguans managed to contain the Guyanese outfit for the remainder of the first 45 minutes, for a 1-0 score at the half.
Charles continued her stellar run in this competition, as she extended her personal tally in the 62nd minute. Capitalising on an assist from Desa, Charles leaped and headed the ball into the net for Guyana’s second.
The third strike came off the boots of Neema Liverpool in the 84th minute, as she needed to only tap the ball past the keeper, off another Desa assist.
By virtue of the win, Guyana topped Group A of League B with 15 points from 6 games. Suriname finished as runners-up in the group with 12 points. Both Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica finished the Group stage with 4 points, with the former having a better goal difference, thus assuming the third position in Group A.
In a post-game interview, Head Coach Omar Khan, who assumed leadership of the squad at the tournament’s onset, emphasised that the team deserved the victory owing to their confident performance right from the outset.
“Very happy with the win. We showed our intentions starting from the first minute by attacking, playing on mostly the half of Antigua. I think we created a lot of opportunities and in the end, we deserved the two wins.”
Overall, Khan expressed immense satisfaction in the team’s performance throughout the tournament.
“I am extra happy with the performances that we did, fantastic group of players to work with,” he said, adding that he was very proud of the “staff and the GFF by giving us a good level to work with, high standards.”
“We will have to make a next step as an organisation, as a team and staff to level up to maintain this level we are going to.”
Meanwhile, as congratulatory messages rolled in, President Dr Irfaan Ali shared a bit on the Lady Jags’ achievement via his social media page, writing, “Congratulations to the Guyana Lady Jags on their historic qualification to the preliminary round of the very first CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup following their 3-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda.”
Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde also extended congratulations to the Lady Jags, highlighting that their advancement to the prelims of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup brings immense pride to the entire football community.
“I would love to congratulate the beloved Lady Jags on their historic qualification for prelims of the very first CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup. Led by Coach Omar Khan, this is a testament to their stellar representation of Guyana throughout the CONCACAF Road To Gold Cup. Finishing atop the group is an incredible achievement, one that fills the entire football fraternity with pride.”
“These achievements unequivocally signify that our national team programme is heading in the right direction. Their performances will serve as huge inspiration for generations of young men and women across Guyana and the Diaspora,” he added, in reflecting on the advancement of the senior national men’s and women’s teams.