CONCACAF Men’s U20 C/ships…
As Guyana prepare for their first match of the CONCACAF Men’s U20 Championship — against Guatemala on November 2 in Florida — Head Coach Wayne Dover has said the side’s main goal is to advance to the next round.
The Under20 Jags team during training
A 26-man provisional squad has already been announced, and training, which began a week ago, is focused firstly on the squad’s physical evaluation.
Dover had this to say about the training session, “The week began with physical evaluation of the players, to test the level of fitness of players. Our aim, as staff, is to qualify; and we made it clear to the players (as to) the level of discipline, dedication, commitment and hard work that is required to achieve the objective. The teams in the group are very tough on paper, but we all know that the matches are played on the field, and every team has a chance to win and qualify once they apply themselves.”
The squad in training consists of Guyana-based players, and is comprised of four goalkeepers, seven defenders, 11 midfielders and four forwards. A forward and a defender were selected from players who had participated in the recently-concluded Indigenous Heritage Games.
“During the Indigenous Heritage Sports, we did some scouting, and identified two talents which add strength to the U20 national programme,” Dover confided. Neston Brown and David Coates, both from the Rupununi FA, will join the team in the new week.
“Brown is a left full back, a position which has slowly become a dying breed in Guyana. He possesses qualities which, once harnessed properly, can see him become a senior national player who can perform as (Walter) Moore and (Chris) Bourne did with distinction. Coates, on the other hand, has demonstrated qualities as a forward which can match the talent we have seen in the past, such as Gregory Richardson. We will nurture them to realise their potential,” Head Coach Dover declared.
Commenting on the physical evaluation of players conducted, the National U20 Coach Developer & Head of Sports Science, Wilson Toledo, said the group has done fairly well over the past week.
Guyana’s match schedule in the first round will see them take on Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Curacao and El Salvador.
