Guyana’s National Under-15 team suffered a crushing 5-0 loss on Tuesday afternoon as they commenced their CONCACAF U15 Championships 2025 campaign.
Head Coach Levi Brathwaite opted for a starting XI that included goalkeeper and Captain Nyall Kendall, Nyron Barrow, Travis Grogan, Pharez Noble, Mark Stewart, Jeden Nelson, Jaden Tasher, Juslyn Halley, Mark Glasgow, Germaine Garrett and Raven Vanooten.
Guyana’s National U15 squad
The junior Golden Jaguars started on a positive note with Kendall stopping a Puerto Rico penalty opportunity before conceding a goal in the 13th minute off the boots of Troy Montanez.
However, the story changed drastically in the second half, with Marco Russo (39th, 68th) and Wilfredo Reyes (45th, 57th) both registering braces to seal Puerto Rico’s 5-0 win.
The Junior Jags will have to recover quickly since they are scheduled to take on the Cayman Islands at 09:00h today.
Squad and delays
An 18-member boys’ national football team are representing Guyana at the 2025 CONCACAF Under-15 Championships in Aruba.
The competition runs from August 2 to August 10, with Guyana drawn in League B-Group C, alongside Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands and Cuba.
The team are as follows: goalkeepers – Nyall Kendall and Matthew Gajadar; defenders – Nyron Barrow, Mekaiya Daniels, Simon Solomon, Tyler Abrams, Travis Grogan and Pharez Noble; midfielders – Jaden Tasher, Ashan Philips, Damani Hardy, Jeden Nelson, Raven Vanooten, Germaine Garrett and Mark Stewart; and forwards – Mark Glasgow, Brendan Parks and Kennard Halley.
While the Guyanese team were scheduled to open their account in the competition on Monday, flight delays meant that the U15 team were unable to make it to Aruba in time for the match.
A missive from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) read, “The team’s scheduled Caribbean Airlines weekend flight was significantly delayed, causing the delegation to miss its connecting flights en route to Aruba. As a result, CONCACAF has officially rescheduled Guyana’s opening fixture.”
“Despite the setback, the players and staff remain focused and in high spirits as they continue preparations to proudly represent Guyana on the international stage. The GFF extends its appreciation to CONCACAF and tournament organisers for their understanding and swift coordination, and thanks the Guyanese public for their continued support of our national teams.”
While that game was rescheduled to Thursday, August 7, Guyana instead opened their account in the competition against Puerto Rico on Tuesday afternoon.
