Manager Lawrence Griffith yesterday told Chronicle Sport that the players had to leave the squad for various reasons.

Sheik Kamal, Toine Lopes, Dwayne Fraser, all defence players, were kicked out because of discipline problems.

Defenders Shad Fernandes and Shawn Browne, and midfielder Jermaine Alleyne were injured while Devon Millington became ill in camp.

National Under-17 striker, Dwight Peters, of the East Coast Demerara, was among six drafted in to fill the slots. He joins National Under-17 captain Konata Mannings as the junior players in the squad.

The others drafted in are defenders Ike Garraway (West Demerara), Kurt Bristol (Berbice) and Kelvin McKenzie (Georgetown), and midfielders Carlos Grant (Georgetown) and Dale Sauers (Upper Demerara). There is one place still available.

Griffith disclosed that Sauers was drafted in based on his performance in the last encounter between the Nationals and Upper Demerara in Linden, last week Wednesday.

Technical Director Neider Dos Santos had made it clear that the initial 26 players encamped had no guarantee on their places, but had to perform daily to keep them, because others could be drafted in to replace them.

The Under-23 boys will be back on the field of play on Saturday, meeting the counterparts from West Demerara at the Uitvlugt Community Centre ground.

After that match, Griffith said a return match against Upper Demerara was on the drawing boards. But it will be staged at a venue in Georgetown.

Griffith said the pitch at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground was “terrible” and the Nationals could not execute techniques practised at the better pitch at the Turkeyen Campus.

“The players were told not to worry with technique but to play with their hearts,” Griffith said.

But Griffith also said the players, except goalkeeper Leon Bailey, Orlando McCloud and Daxton Parks, did not perform up to standard.

“Bailey made one mistake and the goal was scored against the team,” Griffith said.

Guyana will be first coming up against Barbados in the qualifying series, a home-and-away encounter. The first match will be at home but the date is not yet known, though it is likely to be held in the second quarter of the year.