Football World Cup squads short-listed
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
May 20, 2004
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has announced the names of its under-20 and under-17 squads for the World Cup Qualifiers billed for July.
Guyana's under-20 team is to travel to Anguilla for its away tie on July 3 or 4. The return game is set for July 11 in Guyana. The under-17 team is scheduled to face Antigua in the Caribbean island on July 18 with the return fixture set for July 25 in Guyana.
The winner of the under-20 encounter will then go on to Trinidad and Tobago to face Trinidad, Barbados and the winner of the Grenada versus Montserrat two-way tie in the Group `A' Play-off.
Should the under-20 team qualify, it will move forward to the CONCACAF play-off on September 11, 12, 18 and 19.
The Group `A' winner will play its counterpart from Group `D' in a two-way tie while the remaining two winners will engage each other in another two-way tie.
The winner of the under-17 two-way tie will play in the group with Cuba, Bermuda and the winner of the St. Vincent versus Turks and Caicos Islands two-way tie.
According to GFF's competition organiser Lawrence Griffith the federation is yet to decide on a venue for the two return games, but Blairmont is the first choice.
In the last World Cup Qualifying tournament in 2002, Guyana's under-20's lost 0-4 to Suriname in the Dutch Republic and 0-1 in the return game staged in Linden.
In 2002 also, Guyana's under-17's, under coach Joseph `Bill' Wilson, defeated Dominica 2-0 in the away game through goals from Dwight Peters and Adrian Adams.
In the return game, which was played at the GCC ground, Rawlston Morrison netted the winning goal.
However, Wilson was relieved of his duties and replaced by GFF's Technical Director Neider dos Santos for the group's play-off among Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia and hosts Bermuda.
In the Bermuda play-off, Guyana held the powerful Trinidadians to a draw and defeated favourites Bermuda before going down to the lowly-rated St Lucia, thus failing to qualify for the CONCACAF play-off.
Griffith said the two squads will go into camp but could not offer a date for the encampment since this decision will have to be made by the federation's top brass who are all in France attending the FIFA Congress.
Griffith said the top executives are expected back in Guyana next week and the squads might possibly be encamped in Sophia.
Griffith said the technical staff are hoping that the squads could be encamped for at least one month. He said dos Santos is yet to name the coaching staff.
Griffith said the under-20 team's chances are good since there are a few players from the 2002 under-17 team in the squad. However, he said the under-17 team might not be match-ready since there had been no local under-17 tournaments for quite some time.
Griffith pointed out that none of the players named in the two squads are certain of making the final team, since the coaching staff will be scouting for talent during all the warm-up games and if a player who is not in the squad shows good potential, he will be drafted in.
Likewise, if a squad member does not prove himself, he will be replaced.
The Under-20 players called are: Fidel Smith, Maurice Prince and Clydon Sampson (Goal keepers); Travis Martin, Sherman David, Devon Dummet, Odelmo Young, Reshwan Sandiford, Jermain Frank, Dwayne Duke and Carlos Monkhouse (Defenders); Shevon Seaforth, Lylton Ramsay, Philbert Moffat, Solomon Austin, Tichard Joseph, Colin Bowry, Sylvester Alpha, Carlos Grant, Jermaine Murray and Seon Ferrier (Midfield); Konata Mannings, Dwight Peters, Peter Parks, Sean Sobers and Linden Symmonds (Strikers).
The under-17 players are: Ron Liverpool, Colin Walters and Conrad Hutson (Goal keepers); Shawn Bascom, Michael Crandon, Shihed Sutton, Colwin Barnwell, Ron Christian, Joshlyn Cummings, Curtley Phillips and Desmond Hector (Defenders); Delon Albert, Keston Teryll, Brion Baker, Vernon Mills, Nigel Braithwaithe, Eric Moses, Keon Jackson, Calvin Shepherd, Marlon Letlow and Okinie Fraser (Midfielders); Hoffman Spencer, Alister Johnson, Darwin Peters, Kacy John and Manassh Primo (Strikers).