It was not the resumption to their FIFA 2026 World Cup campaign that Guyana’s Senior Men’s National football team, the Golden Jaguars had hoped for on Friday night.
Taking in the home side at the Estadio Nacional in Managua, Nicaragua, the Golden Jaguars took first strike with Captain Daniel Wilson, Goal keeper Amel Clarke, Rashaun Ritch, Jalen Jones, Curtez Kellman, Colin Nelson, Kelsey Benjamin, Reiss Greenidge, Nathan Moriah- Welsh, Osaze DeRosario and Omari Glasgow.
A look at Guyana’s starting XI for the contest against Nicaragua
The Golden Jaguars brought a fierce challenge to the hosts for quite some time, holding off their many attacks. However, all that changed in the 41st minute when Nicaragua’s Ariel Arauz took a shot from outside the box that forced a save from Akel Clarke. Jaime Moreno capitalized on the rebound from that save to send the ball back in for the lone goal of the encounter in the 41st minute.
Guyana did have their fair share of chances, the clearest of which came in the first half, just minutes after Nicaragua’s strike. Omari Glasgow stepped on the gas to produce a phenomenal run, setting up Osaze DeRosario with a sitter in-front of the nets. However, DeRosario’s shot only found the crossbar.
The second segment bore no fruit for the visitors, resulting in the crushing loss for Guyana. The Golden Jaguars remain at third place in Group D of the second round of the CONCACAF qualifiers,, behind Nicaragua (9 points) and Panama (6 points). While the Golden Jaguars will need a big win in their next fixture, their fate in the qualifiers will rest on the other results in the group, which also includes Belize and Monserrat.
The National team will head home where they will take on Monserrat on Tuesday, June 10 from 20:00hrs at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), West Coast Demerara (WCD).
