Trinidadian-born Guyana head coach Jamaal Shabaaz says the pressure is on the Soca Warriors in their upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifier against Guyana at the Providence, Stadium next Friday. The return leg takes place at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on November 15. The Caledonia AIA boss said that he relished his current position which is giving him the opportunity to make a statement for Caribbean coaches by taking a country like Guyana into the latter stages of the Concacaf qualifiers and to be able to knock T&T out of the runnings in the process.
"The pressure's all on them if you ask me," Shabaaz said. "We're like Cinderella. She wasn't scared and she just enjoyed the moment, which is what we're doing. It's been fantastic to work with this squad, with my technical staff and the people of Guyana, who've treated me like a brother. I won't let them down, I can assure you." "I think the big difference this time around is the attitude," he said, explaining Guyana's sudden upturn in fortunes. "Unlike last time, the message has really got through. Maybe we don't have the same talent as the region's big guns but we've worked hard on being organised, professional and disciplined, and that's what's brought us these good results." Having worked hard for an opportunity such as this, the dedicated Shabaaz is not about to let it slip through his fingers.
"I've done a hundred FIFA courses, and the things I've learned have filled me with the belief that a Caribbean coach can take a team from the region all the way to a major competition," he explained with conviction in his voice. "Before, the idea was always to get someone in from Europe or South America, but this is my chance now to change all that and open the way for my colleagues." About the game next Friday where a loss for T&T will put them out of the runnings for 2014 Brazil, Shabaaz added: "It's going to be a very emotional moment for me, of course it is, but it's my duty," he said. "I have a duty not just to myself but to Caribbean coaches in general. I have to put my emotions to one side and do it for the region. If I don't, then everything FIFA has invested in my training as a coach will go to waste. It's such an important time."
The Golden Jaguars also have a significant legion of foreign-based players to draw on, a valuable resource unavailable to them in the past. "We've got six lads in England who've got Guyanese parents and have decided to support the cause, among them our skipper Chris Nurse," Shabaaz told fifa.com.
"We've also got Leon Cort, who's with Charlton Athletic, and a few other footballers playing in the USA's second tier and in Trinidad and Tobago." Mention of the country of his birth diverts Shabaaz's attention back to the crucial November showdown and triggers one final reflection on Guyanese expectations: "Obviously the Trinidadians have got a lot of quality, but what we lack in resources we make up for in discipline."