Slingerz step up CFU Club Shield preparations with dominant win in Linden

Guyana’s reigning Elite League champions, Slingerz Football Club, continued their preparations for the upcoming Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield tournament with a commanding 6-1 victory over a Blueberry Hill/Alleys/Valleys/Christianburg combination team on Saturday evening at the Bayroc National Stadium in Linden.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Slingerz FC Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz made it clear after the match that the outing was never about the result, but rather the continued development of the team’s tactical approach and overall match fitness ahead of July’s regional assignment in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Linden combination side earned the opportunity to face Slingerz FC after emerging champions of the recently-concluded Linden Town Week Football Tournament, and scores of fans turned out despite intermittent showers to witness the contest featuring several of Linden’s top players against one of Guyana’s premier clubs.

The visitors wasted little time asserting themselves, with Elite League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Darron Niles producing a clinical double to lead the attack.
The remaining goals came from Solomon Austin, Kemar Beckford, and Curtez Kellman, while an own goal rounded off Slingerz FC’s tally on the night.
While pleased with aspects of the performance, Shabazz stressed that the focus remained firmly on preparation rather than results at this stage of the season.
“The match wasn’t about the result. Of course, as a club, you want to win every time you step on the pitch, regardless if it’s a practice match or not, but for Slingerz FC, it was about using the game to implement and work on our playing style, getting the players match-ready,” Shabazz explained.
According to the experienced coach, the club had resumed training shortly following the conclusion of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League Cup and is now placing heavy emphasis on sharpening the squad physically and tactically ahead of regional competition.
Shabazz noted that the technical staff was carefully managing the players’ workload while gradually increasing the intensity of sessions to ensure the team peaked at the right time for the CFU Club Shield.
He also revealed that Slingerz FC intended to engage in additional pre-season matches, both locally and regionally, as part of the club’s build-up to the prestigious Caribbean tournament.
With just over a month remaining before the Club Shield kicks off, Shabazz noted, that Saturday’s dominant performance offered supporters in Linden an encouraging glimpse of a Slingerz FC side determined to represent Guyana strongly on the regional stage.