Where should Guyana play and Why?

[KND2]

Being Based in South America Guyana has the option to push to join south america qualification versus play through concacaf. In the long run this may make more sense because even if the you get more licks initially in the long run things may be better if the correct program is put in place. Just look at venezuela they used to take real licks now they get much better.

Revenue will go way up.

When big teams come to town tickets will sell out, away fan tourism will grow , Tv money will increase a million fold.

This money could then be reinvested into making the football better.

Facilities will have to immediately improve.

Necesity is the mother of invention. Joining south america is probably the fastest way to improve football in Guyana on the fast track.

In fact this idea sound so good Trinidad and tobago should probably pursue it. Similar to what Austraila did in Asia Fifa will allow it if the pitch is correct.


Imagine having 18 critical games against top opposition every 4 years instead of struggling to find teams to play.

Every game will sell out and that is just on the world cup side.

Copa America is a whole set of 3 additional games at a minimum.

At first we will be towards the bottom or last but in 8 - 12 years time we should be able to compete for a world cup spot.

We have competed with columbia, paraguay etc in the past so it is not a pipe dream.


If fact we need not be so pressed to even make the world cup because if you in the south america group you playing against world cup quality teams on a daily basis.


From a football perspective it might be a master move.
Geographically we used to be connected to South America and we can get to the mainland much quicker than going to the USA.
Football style wise we like the south america brand so culturally it is a natural fit. only issue is language which is easy to overcome because english is universal.

makes sense to me!

We should ready a plan to try to join South America. They might be intersted since it gives them more votes in FIFA.

[PantherX]

Changing federations won't change a thing unless we get our house in order.  It worked for Australia becuase already had their football development structure in place, in any case what they really wanted was a direct route to the World Cup.

[Socapro]

We struggling as it is to make the Gold Cup & Hex in CONCACAF and this crazy guy KND thinks it’s a better idea for us to join CONMEBOL!!  

Yeah right!!

Ah wonder why Mexico & the USA not pressing for that option as well to give themselves a stiffer test because qualifying from CONCACAF for the World Cup is now so routinely easy for both of them?! 

KND boi, whatever yuh smoking, ah think yuh need to keep it all for yuhself and doh bother to share it round!
That stuff is obviously doing you a lot of harm!!  

[congo]

Craziest thing I've read all day...!!!

[reggae-fan]

Guyana is more caribbean than it is South America. Them latin countries in South America would never accept english speaking Guyana (with next to no football culture) as one of their own, despite geographically being part of south America. They will be quicker to accept Panama and Honduras than English speaking Guyana, who has no football culture whatsoever.

Australia moving to the Asian Federation was a no brainer for all parties involved..it made perfect sense financially. Australia is good enough to qualify from the asian confed...guyana is nowhere good enough to qualify from conmebol...they not even top three in CFU, let alone CONCACAF. Why would conmebol seek to ruin its reputation?

Imagine Brazil playing Guyana in a world cup qualifier on a cricket pitch in Berbice with 1000 fans, despite the likes of Robinho and Maicon and Julia Cesar on the pitch.

If I'm to be totally honest, Mexico proabbaly the only team in CONCACAF they would accept

[reggae-fan]

If fact we need not be so pressed to even make the world cup because if you in the south america group you playing against world cup quality teams on a daily basis.

I think you miss the whole point of qualifying for the world Cup. By your logic, all a country needs to do every four years is play three friendlies against Brazil, Italy and Germany and it would be as good as qualifying for the world cup. Really screwed up logic there.

[Spursy]

WHAT THE #@$#!@ ?

LMAFO. Umm... LOL ok... No comment

[KND2]

If fact we need not be so pressed to even make the world cup because if you in the south america group you playing against world cup quality teams on a daily basis.

I think you miss the whole point of qualifying for the world Cup. By your logic, all a country needs to do every four years is play three friendlies against Brazil, Italy and Germany and it would be as good as qualifying for the world cup. Really screwed up logic there.

You are supporting my point. which is it is better to play in a region where all 9 teams are good competition than to go through concacaf and have to battle to get good games.

Guyana has no chance to qualify from concacaf and the same no chance to qualify from South America.

They are gauranteed more games in south america than in concaf where they will be luckly to get more than 2 in a home and away play off or 6 in a round robin against similar level teams.

Playing in South America will ensure that they need to get better over time. Guyana today is no worst than venezuela was 10 years ago .

My point is which environment will allow them to develop more as a football nation.

As far as getting accepted into south america group.

Physically they are in south america so if they wanted to participate FIFA would have to at least consider it because they are south american, leagally they would have a strong case.

They fact that they suck is irrelevant, just look at the european groups.

England still has to get on a plane and play home and away against San Marino how bad you are is not a pre requesite to participation.

Also do you really think if brazil was playing Guyana in Guyana only 1000 people would show up. The stadium would sell out with brazilians from Northern Brazil wishing for a chance to see their team play and it would also sell out with Guyanese who wanted to see brazil play.

Compare that to playing home and away versus Trinidad.

It is a whole different kettle of fish

A whole different level of excitement and commiment from players etc.


the program will go from hopeless to hopeful instantly

[Deeks]

Guyana today is no worst than venezuela was 10 years ago .

Not really. This a false assumption. Not because Venezuela is the "dormat" of Conmebol means the Concacaf teams can beat them.

 KND, I see the logic, but Guyana eh going that route. If the business and gov't will fully back that move, maybe. But I doubt it. I more see them putting resources for cricket more than anything. Look how long Guyana has been independent. Do they have a stadium like TT, JA, B'dos. I am not sure. I asking?

[Touches]

B. Jagdeo ask you to post this on the forum or wha?

[Guyanese-Baller]

Reggae-Fan your comments are just downright myopic and disrespectful. Just because a country is not a world-beater in a particular sport does not mean that they have no culture playing that sport. Football is by far the most widely and frequently played  competitive sport in Guyana but the Govt makes no effort to assist with the game at the grassroots level (unlike the millions poured into cricket and golf) and the local football association is a complete mess (like the TTFF). Guyana excels at indoor games like squash and boxing and has had world champions  but football is still king.

Football is played indoors and outdoors at many grounds. Big games are played at the same national stadium that hosted the world cup cricket.

Guyanese adore South American football and perhaps the whole country would come out to see Guyana v Brazil. In fact there are more Brazillians living in Guyana than you can imagine.

The whole issue is a good debate for Guyana (not T&T) but I think they will find it better to stick with Concacaf.

[Deeks]

TT maybe not be attached to South America, but is geographically part of South America. Just watch the map. TT is both Carib and South America.

I would not mind TT clubs playing in the Liberatores and the national team getting invited in the Conmebol nation cup. But for WC, we should stay with Concacaf. Mexico has the best of both worlds.

Actually I would not mind seeing one of our clubs join the Venezuelan league. Don't say it can't be done. Canadian teams play in the US league. Welsh teams play in the English league. So there is plenty precedent.

[reggae-fan]

Reggae-Fan your comments are just downright myopic and disrespectful. Just because a country is not a world-beater in a particular sport does not mean that they have no culture playing that sport. Football is by far the most widely and frequently played  competitive sport in Guyana but the Govt makes no effort to assist with the game at the grassroots level (unlike the millions poured into cricket and golf) and the local football association is a complete mess (like the TTFF). Guyana excels at indoor games like squash and boxing and has had world champions  but football is still king.

Football is played indoors and outdoors at many grounds. Big games are played at the same national stadium that hosted the world cup cricket.

Guyanese adore South American football and perhaps the whole country would come out to see Guyana v Brazil. In fact there are more Brazillians living in Guyana than you can imagine.

The whole issue is a good debate for Guyana (not T&T) but I think they will find it better to stick with Concacaf.

Accept my apologies bossman. I suppose every country in the world that has a national football team can rightfully claim they have a football culture. And you are correct, Brazil will fill football stadia anywhere they play.

But you cant deny facts. Guyana are the only English speaking nation on the south american continent , and the only country there that has a national cricket team. The latin culture of south american footballers connects them...the cricket culture connects Guyana with caribbean/west indies.

There wouldnt be any benefit for CONMEBOL to accept any caribbean teams to its federation. Like I said before, they would probably take Mexico without second guess....for very obvious reasons - large market (think $$$), and also the fact that Mexico makes their federation stronger (in terms of quality teams). Mexico can compete with any team in conmebol today...but not dominate like they do in concacaf. note Mexicos recent copa america play.

Guyana brings nothing to the table. Panama is directly connected to Colombia, i suppose they would stand a better chnace of getting accepted there, but even them bring nothing to the table for conmebol.

[de_redman]

Sounds like a super idea... in fact let us get Jack to build a bridge to Venezuela to make it official 

[Deeks]

Correct me people, I think they do play cricket in Brazil and Argentina. On a tiny scale, because they are plenty Brit. expats there. I remember reading where Argentina had to play a lower tier county for WC cricket qualification.

[Brownsugar]

Jamal Shabazz raised this possibility in an article in the TnT Review a few years ago.  (He was their coach at one time right??).   And his reason was that in the long run it might be better for their football......

[Toussaint]

Venezuela and Colombia are more Caribbean than Guyana is South American. However, it's an interesting discussion. You do not have to share the same cultural backgrounds with the other teams of a confederation to join that confederation. For example, China, Palestine, Australia are all members of the same confederation!

However, I really do not understand why it would be a better deal for Guyana to leave CONCACAF.

[Guyanese-Baller]

Apology accepted Reggae-Fan but Guyana being the only English speaking country in South America is a non-issue. It may even be a plus. Many Brazillians (regular men and some nice women but not good footballers) come to Guyana to live and learn English. They like being here to hang out with very hospitable Guyanese and speak English. 

Also more than half of a million Argentines (about the whole population of Guyana) speak only German (not Spanish). That language has not hindered their integration in Argentina and playing football, the national sport.

I still think that the issue is a good debate because Guyana is deepening links with Brazil with a bridge etc.

Personally I like the idea of Guyana playing in Conmebol because it will influence and improve our style of play and bring more people into the game regardless of the fact that we will not do well for a while, but I think overall (the initial economics of it and regional integration issues) the powers that be will prefer to stick with Concacaf.

BTW - the day is coming soon when Guyana's level of football will be above Jamaica's level. When I say that I'm not having a 'Davy Jenny moment', that is a real possibility. If you recall the way that unrated countries like Denmark and Greece have won the European Championship you would realize that every 'dog' could have their day.

[KND2]

Guyana  have some good players,

I coach in connecticut and there is a Guyanese youth who is on the team he is very good, just arrived from Guyana 2 years ago, He was in the national pool in guyana but did not make the national team. That would mean there are some that are better than him.

To me this means they have some good talent.

Which is to be expected Just like TnT or JA most caribbean nations have good youth talent.

The problem is development and exposure.

But Guyana has something no other West Indian country has..........Land!

[Socapro]

Guyana  have some good players,

I coach in connecticut and there is a Guyanese youth who is on the team he is very good, just arrived from Guyana 2 years ago, He was in the national pool in guyana but did not make the national team. That would mean there are some that are better than him.

To me this means they have some good talent.

Which is to be expected Just like TnT or JA most caribbean nations have good youth talent.

The problem is development and exposure.

But Guyana has something no other West Indian country has..........Land!

So come on here KND!!
Are you telling us that we have been living in the sea all this time & didn't realise it?! 
Then how come most of us living in the Caribbean can't swim? Shouldn't most of us from the rest of the Caribbean have drowned by now because we don't have land like Guyana?! 

Or are you trying to argue that we don't have enough land to take our football to the next level?
I was of the impression that your football talent pool has more to do with population, sports culture and football administration rather than the amount of equatorial rain forest you possess but maybe I have been getting it wrong all along, its really more about how much rain forest you have, yes that explains it! 

Hey KND, ah warning you again, please don't pass around what you have been smoking, its dangeous!!! 

[KND2]

Guyana  have some good players,

I coach in connecticut and there is a Guyanese youth who is on the team he is very good, just arrived from Guyana 2 years ago, He was in the national pool in guyana but did not make the national team. That would mean there are some that are better than him.

To me this means they have some good talent.

Which is to be expected Just like TnT or JA most caribbean nations have good youth talent.

The problem is development and exposure.

But Guyana has something no other West Indian country has..........Land!

So come on here KND!!
Are you telling us that we have been living in the sea all this time & didn't realise it?! 
Then how come most of us living in the Caribbean can't swim? Shouldn't most of us from the rest of the Caribbean have drowned by now because we don't have land like Guyana?! 

Or are you trying to argue that we don't have enough land to take our football to the next level?
I was of the impression that your football talent pool has more to do with population, sports culture and football administration rather than the amount of equatorial rain forest you possess but maybe I have been getting it wrong all along, its really more about how much rain forest you have, yes that explains it! 

Hey KND, ah warning you again, please don't pass around what you have been smoking, its dangeous!!! 

I wish I was smoking and could sell it. because I need to be rich.

[kicker]

How is it decided which federation a nation belongs to? (i.e. how was Guyana considered CONCACAF in the first place, and how would they go about attempting to make the switch?)

[reggae-fan]

Correct me people, I think they do play cricket in Brazil and Argentina. On a tiny scale, because they are plenty Brit. expats there. I remember reading where Argentina had to play a lower tier county for WC cricket qualification.

Fact that ciecket is played in Brazil does not really say that they are good at it. if you ask the average Brazilian you see in the street about cricket they will tekll you its an insect.

[reggae-fan]

BTW - the day is coming soon when Guyana's level of football will be above Jamaica's level. When I say that I'm not having a 'Davy Jenny moment', that is a real possibility. If you recall the way that unrated countries like Denmark and Greece have won the European Championship you would realize that every 'dog' could have their day.

Thats where we start to disagree bro. 

Maybe possible, but you have a very looong way to go. Start by winning the caribbean cup. you are at least 20 years behind Jamaica in that regards. getting to 27th position on FIFA ranking is not an easy task my brother. Was it 4-0 the last time the two teams played at senior level?

[kicker]

Thats where we start to disagree bro. 

Maybe possible, but you have a very looong way to go.

It ain't that long.  Caribbean football on the whole (including Jamaica) is very weak... If you do things properly, getting to the top of the CFU heap is really no stretch for any nation.  T&T and Jamaica have both had periods of domination, and have both had very low points...the distance from peak to valley is pretty short in Caribbean football. 

[Tenorsaw]

Lets be honest, Guyana plays in Concacaf because it does not consider itself to be culturally aligned to the rest of the South American continent.  They are formerly part of the British West Indies and are culturally part of the West Indies.  They could easily have lobbied to be a part of Conmebol, but I believe culture was a major factor in them aligning themselves to Concacaf.  Maybe playing in Conmebol would do them good in the long run.   Frankly, if there is no investment in the game in Guyana locally, they will not improve, regardless of what confederation they are a part of.  Venezuela got good because they invested in the game.  They have brand new infrastructure, as they hosted the Copa America in 2007.  The matches against top teams like Brazil and Argentina are sold out within hours and they have players plying their trade in Europe and the Americas.  Without proper set-up and investment in the game, Guyana may very well not improve.  The flip side is the argument that repeated exposure to a higher level of competition will ultimately make them better.  My point is that you only get better with proper coaching and the ability to correct deficiencies.  If there are major deficiencies in the system and set-up, then playing in Conmebol will be no different to playing in Concacaf.

[reggae-fan]

But Guyana has something no other West Indian country has..........Land!

OK, and how that relate to this discussion? 

[reggae-fan]

Thats where we start to disagree bro. 

Maybe possible, but you have a very looong way to go.

It ain't that long.  Caribbean football on the whole (including Jamaica) is very weak... If you do things properly, getting to the top of the CFU heap is really no stretch for any nation.  T&T and Jamaica have both had periods of domination, and have both had very low points...the distance from peak to valley is pretty short in Caribbean football. 

CONCACAF comprises North, Central america and the Caribbean, and I'll agree with you that of the three, the caribbean have the weakest teams. But we just saw in the just concluded Gold Cup, Honduras the central american champs just lost to Jamaica the caribbean champs. In other words, top two in the caribbean is just as good as top 2 central america. The problem with caribbean footbal is that you have teams like Monsterrat and Grenada, which will get walloped by even the worst teams in central america. Honduras just put a 7-0 arseing on Grenada at the same gold cup. while Jamaica had no problem dismissing Guatemala and Honduras.

[E-man]

French Guyana and Suriname (French and Dutch) are in the CFU as well. While Belize which also has a British heritage is in UNCAF.

[Tenorsaw]

French Guyana and Suriname (French and Dutch) are in the CFU as well. While Belize which also has a British heritage is in UNCAF.

Good points E-man.  I'll use my cultural alignment theory to justify why this is so.   Belize is a cross-cultural zone with strong British ties, as well as a Spanish influence (about 46 percent of population are native Spanish speakers).  They could have gone in either direction, if you asked me, but location might have logically dictated them being a part of UNCAF.  Cayenne and Suriname have always been considered part of the Dutch and French West Indiers historically, so they just followed these historical ties and aligned themselves with the rest of the West Indies.