Guyana success story of Digicel Cup
From Donald Duff in Trinidad
Stabroek News
December 1, 2006
President of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Confederation of North, Central American and the Caribbean Football Association and vice-president of the International Football Association (FIFA) Austin `Jack' Warner said yesterday that Guyana has been the success story so far of the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament.
Speaking at the launch/drawing of the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago from January 12-23 next year, Warner said: "If any country has performed during this event, has shown what development means, has shown what investment means what hard work means Guyana has.""I mean they have done it with the help of a Trinidadian (laughter). Jamaal Shabazz is the head coach and I've told him not to expect any favours as he is a Guyanese."
Warner was commenting on the performance of the Guyana national side who have played unbeaten for 15 consecutive games. They have won all six matches they have contested in the two preliminary groups, the highlight of which was a 5-0 drubbing of arch rivals Suriname, the most lopsided by Guyana over the neighbours for over two decades.
They have been spearheaded by strikers Nigel `Powers' Codrington and Gregory `Jackie Chan' Richardson with seven and six goals respectively, but the entire team must be credited including Shabazz and his assistant coaches Wayne `Wiggy' Dover and Kavin Pearce.
Warner quipped that it was a good thing that elections in Guyana were over as Colin Klass might have given president Bharrat Jagdeo "a run for his money."
Warner added:" I keep saying to all the countries in the region that there is no substitute for hard work."
Shabazz said thst the collective effort of the coaching staff coupled with the number of players who play professional
football in Trinidad was in some way responsible for the team's success.
He said it was not a matter of teaching the players football but of organising the talent of the professionals in such a way as to achieve the success they did.
Klass said the team had come a far way adding: "There's no stopping us now. We intend to go on in the same rhythm and to achive the greatness that I think Guyan always has."