Squads of Under-17, Under-20 and senior footballers will be thrown into full scale training as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) commence preparations for three major international competitions.
The Guyana Football Federation has released the names of 26 seniors, 35 Under-20s and 36 Under-17 players who are expected to be encamped shortly.
The Under-17s and 20s will be making arrangements for the regional World Cup qualifying competition while the seniors prepare for the Gold Cup.
The youngest of the three groups is expected to be encamped from June 1. The others will travel to the Buxton Community Centre from this weekend for encampment.
General Secretary of the GFF George Rutherford stated yesterday that the Ashton Taylor Memorial and an Inter-Sub Association competition which should have concluded on Sunday, made it easier for the Under-20 selectors.
Joseph `Bill' Wilson has been named head coach of the Under-20 squad. Coaches of the other squads will be known by weekend.
The Under-20s will be preparing for battle in Group A that includes the strong Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the winner of Aruba/Antigua. The host of the group is not yet known.
However, the locals will only make it that far if they get past arch rival Suriname in a preliminary home and away tie. The two teams will play in Georgetown on June 2 while the return match is scheduled for June 9 in the former Dutch colony.
The Under-20 World Cup finals will be held in United Arab Emirates in March 2003 and the CONCACAF finals are slated for October and November of this year. The team to represent Guyana at in the Gold Cup will first have to play a qualifier against Netherland Antilles on July 28 at home and a return on August 11 to go into a group comprising Haiti, Antigua and the winner of a Aruba versus Suriname tie.
A qualifier is also scheduled for the local Under-17 team which will come up against Dominica in a home and away tie on August 4 and 18. The winner will meet Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda and the winner of a US Virgin Islands versus St. Lucia playoff.
Squands: Under-17:- Georgetown - Mark Batson, Henry Roberts, Kanata Manning, Leon Grumble, Kenroy Pilgrim, Colin Clarke, Quason Winter, Odel Mayers, Anthony Summer, Shawn Bascom, Eusi Phillips and Travis Griffith. East Coast Demerara - Dwight Peters, Marcus Anthony, Shawn Sobers, Rawlston Morrison, Lowedorn Stanton, Marlon Letloo and Kevin Kelvin. Berbice - Hossnan Spencer, Adrian Adams, Quayce Lashley, Carlson Mattison and Evans Jordan. Bartica - Damien Fordyce, Dwayne Duke, Kenrick Wilkinson and Charles Wyatt. Essequibo: Sherwin Haynes, Jermine Critchlow and Rodwell John. Upper Demerara- Carlos Monkhouse, Dwight Murray, Randy Small, Rolston Hutson, Gavin Crawford, Colin Adams and Fidel Johnson. Under-20: Upper Demerara - Jeremy Aaron, Shawn Brown, Carlos Grant, Keron Joseph, Colin Aaron Jr. and Ravin Choo. Essequibo - Gilford Moore. East Coast Demerara- Kelvin Smith, John Pitt, Dwight Peters and Titsland Joseph. West Demerara: Zephon Atkinson. Lethem - Johnny Farias and Emerick Williams. Berbice - Alvin Reynolds, Colin Bowrie, Dexter Dundas, Carl Younge, Andy Hamilton, Anil Maniram, N. McAlmont and Clint Fordyce. Bartica - Cleon Adams. Georgetown - Anthony Harding, Morvin Liverpool, Jerome Richard-son, Leon Wilson, Linden Simmonds, Cordell Young, Devon Millington, Travis Grant, Andy Duke, Jermine Nurse, Jermine Mentore and R. Sandy.
Seniors: Bartica- Shawn Brown and Jermine Lynch. Berbice- Cleon Thomas. East Coast Demerara: Carl Cole, Quasi DeSouza and Seon Prince. Georgetown: Jermaine Alleyne, Lennox Charles, Nigel Codrington, Shad Fernandez, Romel Forde, Delon Glenn, Anthony Harding, Marlon Hendricks, Eron Hayde, Gordon Henry, Leslie Holligan, Elroy Parks, Jonathon Peters and Neville Stanton.
Upper Demerara - Shane Adams, Deon Jordan, Abassy McPherson, Adrian Reid and Charles Rose. West Demerara - Orville Bobb. Overseas-based players will be included at a later date.
Notable omission from the senior squad are dependable midfielder Kayode McKinnon and temperamental striker Collie Hercules both of whom were slapped with a six-month bans by the GFF in January for abusing female referee Dianne James in a semi-final game of the Kashif and Shanghai competition. The dapper McKinnon has since written to the GFF (in a letter dated May 10) pleading for "mercy and leniency" from the governing body. McKinnon also requested a lifting of the ban (after serving two thirds of the ban) to enable him to be considered for selection.
The senior squad will have its first stern test against the German University side on May 26 at GCC ground.