Football agents after several Guyana players
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
January 27, 2007
DESPITE not reaching the final four in the recent Digicel Caribbean Cup football championship, several players of the national team were spotted to play in the Caribbean and possibly Europe.
President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Colin Klass, yesterday, disclosed at the press conference at the GFF secretariat that agents contacted the national governing body for seven players, while other players were approached individually.
Klass said matches with El Salvador and Canada were in the pipeline so that more players could be spotted to play at a higher level.
Technical Director Jamaal Shabazz further disclosed that agents for clubs in Scotland approached striker Nigel Codrington, the championship leading goalscorer, and defenders Charles Pollard, John Rodrigues and Howard Lowe.
“Rodrigues got an offer from LA Galaxy.”
Shabazz said other players were approached to play with Trinidad & Tobago clubs in that country’s professional league. They are strikers Anthony Abrams, Dwight Peters, Devon Millington and Gregory Richardson.
“Joe Public are definitely after Richardson.”
He disclosed that Shawn Beveney, who now resides in the United Kingdom, was approached for trials with a club there.
“There are still a lot of positives from this (campaign in the Digicel Caribbean Cup).”
There is an opening for coaches Wayne Dover and Kavin Pearce to work at Trinity College, while new teams in the professional league also approached them.
Shabazz said had the team reached the semifinals and met Trinidad & Tobago, there would have been much more support.
“I was confident of beating Trinidad & Tobago in the semifinals then we would have gotten more support from them for the final.”
But the dreams ended with the drawn match against Cuba, which Guyana needed to win to reach the last four.
“If I had the powers, I would have turned the chances into goals for Guyana. But it was a very rewarding experience.”
He related that he did not cry when his mother died, for which he was ridiculed by his relatives and never cried in a football match.
“When we drew with Cuba, I cried uncontrollably.”
Shabazz related how on a morning show he heard that a Caribbean country was changing its passport to protect against Guyanese and Nigerians.
“How important it was to qualify for the (CONCACAF) Gold Cup. It would have also wiped away what happened in 1987 (when the national players absconded to the USA).”
He said the whole of Guyana depended on the performance of the players, but asked if the whole of Guyana gave their support with heart and soul.
The technical director said he took full responsibility for all selection and substitutions, after consultations with the staff.
Shabazz said that captain Charles Pollard announced his resignation from international football when he was in an emotional state, after the drawn match against Cuba.
“At 32, Pollard still has at least two years of international play.”
He disclosed that the technical staff was in the process of making a video of Pollard in action as teaching guide for young players, underlining the quality and ability of the captain.