– Caribbean coaches in rating Guyana’s school football
Chase’s Academic Foundation (blue) was one of the teams frequently mentioned by the Jamaican and Trinidadian coaches
One of the most emphasized aims of the Petra-Organized KFC International Goodwill series, the fourth edition of which has been wrapped up just last week, was to gauge where Guyana’s school football sits, as compared to other teams in the Caribbean; having the tournament operate as a benchmark.
This year’s competition gave the biggest indication of where Guyana’s school football is situated, as three Caribbean teams, the most in the competition’s sort history, travelled to Guyana to compete. Jamaican Champions Clarendon College have been the foremost of the lot, given that country’s label as the football powerhouse in the Caribbean region.
Randolph Boyce, coach of St. Benedict’s College
Prior to the anticipated final showdown, Jamaican coach Kemar Foster and Trinidadian coach Randolph Boyce, both assessing what they saw from the Guyanese teams, have noted that the talent is there, but development is needed.
“You guys play real rough. You know, it’s a great experience as a player, as a coach as well, to see how Guyanese players play their football. Yes, you guys can develop a little bit more, as compared to the Trinidad and Jamaica teams,” Jamaica’s Foster shared.
“They definitely have talent in Guyana in terms of individual talent; definitely have that. In terms of technical and tactical aspects of the game, you’re seeing where there’re gaps between certain Guyana teams itself. For example, you see, like Chase Academy, they assemble most of the talent by them, and they’re properly well-structured and put together. So, it have a gap between them and the other Guyana teams,” Boyce opined.
Kemar Foster, coach of Clarendon College
“The physical aspect of the game, pretty good, pretty rough, as we experienced with Chase the other night. From the other teams, we saw that night they play an excellent game; so, they’re not far off, but they have some work to do. Tournaments like these, playing against different countries and getting the experience and exposure would only help develop Guyana football, and I think that is what this tournament is structured and really doing for the country,” the Trinidadian coach added.
However, one factor that both coaches happened to point out is the Guyanese coaching, and how it can be improved, with Foster offering any assistance he could render.
“To get the Guyana, the local coaches, to probably up their game a little more from the experience that they would now encounter; and each year that they come, I am expecting to see Guyana football always on the rise,” Boyce highlighted.
Meanwhile, Foster shared, “This competition clearly opened eyes for a lot of coaches here in Guyana, and I think they’re observing the quality that both teams here bring to the table in every game. So, I wish them all the best with their growth and their preparation for the young group coming up to the senior group.”
The Jamaican coach has assured, “I hope they grasp as much as possible. We’re all open to discussion, if we can help in any way.”
Jamaica’s Clarendon College walked away as Champions of the KFC-sponsored tournament, while Trinidad’s St. Benedict’s were the runners-up. Chase’s Academic Foundation put on the best showing among the Guyanese teams, finishing in third place and losing only to Jamaica and Trinidad by 2-0 and 1-0 margins respectively. And in one instance, this happened while they were missing 4 key players to international duties. (Jemima Holmes)
