Newly-appointed Head Coach of the Golden Jaguars, Jamaal Shabazz, is all for the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) vision of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and shared his views on the mission after being appointed to his new position on Friday.
Over the past few years, Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde, has been stressing the Federation’s intention to have the senior men’s national team qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
The specificity on the 2026 event comes from the fact that the global tournament would see an expansion from 32 teams participating to 48. For the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) region, of which Guyana is apart, 6 spots are available in the quadrennial event.
Answering a question from media operatives about Guyana’s chances at making it to the big league, new Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz commented that Guyana have already proved they have the ability to qualify for big competitions.
“I think we’ve got the dream and vision. Because, you know, there’s a difference between a dream and a vision, and I think we got to go for it. We qualified for the Gold Cup under Mr Johnson and his staff, and it showed that we could qualify for the big competition,” the newly appointed Head Coach answered.
He went on to justify his answer by stating, “We were on the same field one time with Mexico and El Salvador and Costa Rica, and that same moment Mexico and Costa Rica reached the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. We were in a group with them in that same qualifier. We were one of the few countries in the world to score a goal on Mexico in high altitude.
“As pointed out both by the Minister and Mr. Forde, the effort is a collective one.”
Shabazz continued, sharing that he believes the Golden Jaguars have ‘no choice’ but to qualify, since they owe it to the people of Guyana.
“I think it is realistic, it is visionary, and we can dream for it. But I don’t see that we have a choice; I think that we owe it to our nation, we owe it to our people, to realistically attempt to get there; and what we have to do in that period is a very collective one,” Shabazz emphasised.
Also touching on the topic on Friday was GFF President Wayne Forde, who expressed his faith in Shabazz to lead the team. He highlighted that the Coach has the tools and ability to lift the confidence of the Golden Jags.
The GFF President commented, “I believe that we have started on that path. We have focused our investments on creating the right environment, the right culture within the administration, which is key to anything we can achieve on the pitch, and I believe that a really solid foundation has been set.
Golden Jags Head Coach, Jamaal Shabazz
“Coach Shabazz also acknowledged and mentioned in his remarks that we actually have something to build on going forward. So, I’m very optimistic, given everything that was said in terms of the tools that the Coach brings to the job, that we’ll be able to lift the level of confidence that is so crucial in bringing the Government of Guyana, Corporate Guyana and all stakeholders on board to join us on this very interesting mission,” he concluded on the topic of the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada; the first time that the tournament will be having three host countries at once. Currently, the 2026 event is expected to be played across 22 venues. (Jemima Holmes)
