Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 09, 2008 Sports
By Franklin Wilson
Well, football fans local and overseas, followers and enthusiasts can gear up for an explosive and very competitive 19th Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament set to kick off on Sunday at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden.
Like no other tournament, teams participating in the year end spectacle always take preparations to another level and this year it is no different, as a matter of fact, they have been investing much more in this area than previous years.
And with President Bharrat Jagdeo already pledging $200,000 to the 15 local teams, it will surely bolster this area, leading to a much more competitive championship.
And speaking of competitiveness, fierce battles are expected from day one. The first match up features Upper Demerara’s Milerock, making a grand return to the K&S line up after seven years. Their opponent is city side Pele who finished joint third with Winners Connection in the last tournament.
Sunday’s feature clash will see the most successful team in this competition, Bakewell Topp XX, locking horns with fellow Linden side, Rusal.
Milerock, the inaugural K&S champs way back in 1990/91 won the competition again in 1997/98 and ironically, it was Pele they defeated to take the crown making Sunday’s match up a highly anticipated grudge-like duel.
Pele too, has reached the final hurdle twice but muffed up on both occasions, first against Topp XX in 96/96.
But Sunday’s clash will be under different circumstances, Milerock, on the rebuilding highway and current leaders of the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) first division league will be featuring a young side with only three of their regular players boasting experience at this level.
Steve Brewley, Trevor Tudor and Deon Grandison, the others are young players who are on the path of proving that they too can mesh up to this level of rivalry.
President/Coach of the club Brian Joseph speaking with Kaieteur Sport, notes that the club is on the corridor of reconstruction after a number of players left back in 1998 when they won the tournament, to work in Omai since they had to earn to maintain their families.
“So we had to start from scratch to restructure a competitive unit. It was not until 1995 when I returned to Linden that things really got going in this regard and we are on an exciting upward trend.
We do recognize that 90% of the players are new to this stage and we are aiming to at least make the semi-finals which would be a very good achievement for us.”
Joseph is also cognizant that his opponent, Pele, does not have a good record when it comes to playing at the MSC ground.
“I am not really worried about Pele, I am anxious to find out how these young players will react at this level and we have been working on their minds, preparing them for Sunday.”
The club just concluded a camp on Sunday where they did technical, tactical and physiological work with the team.
Their four loan players expected to bolster their chances are ‘Golden Jaguar’ striker Randolph Jerome, who is competing in the T&T Pro League, Midfielder and former Milerock player now residing in St. Lucia, Nieve Dennis.
According to Joseph, Dennis made the St. Lucia national team this year but due to Passport hiccups he was unable to play. Dennis will be hoping to lend valuable depth to Milerock in this tournament.
The other players are defenders Marlon Maxius, playing in the T&T Super League and former Guyana Defence Force player, Dwayne Fraser.
However, both Jerome and Dennis will not be available for Sunday’s opening salvo. Pele, too, have been undergoing intense training under the guidance of head coach Denzil Thompson who said they concluded their final endurance run on Sunday last from the Linden/Soesdyke Junction at Timehri to the Yarrowkabra Creek.
“We also had three Wednesday’s of strength and endurance work on the sand at the Sea Walls apart from four practice matches.
Tactical and technical work was done in the afternoons so with all that, we think we are prepared for the challenge ahead.”
Thompson disclosed that his charges will be doing light work for the remainder of the week which would entail flexibility sessions, formation and systems along with motivational talks.
Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, the prolific Joe Public and ‘Golden Jaguar’ forward headlines their list of loan players. Fellow national team player and playmaker Konata Manning, Quincy Hemerding and Gerald Whittington are the others.
They will combine forces with the regulars, Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant, Captain Dirk Archer, Devon Edinboro, Keoma Gravesande and goalkeeper Shemroy Arthur to chart Pele’s victory bid. Can they go all the way this time around, only time will tell.
Bakewell Topp XX will start as odds on favourites for their match against underdogs Rusal who were sent packing in their first game against Winners Connection in the last tournament.
Five-time champions and eight-time finalist’s Topp XX no doubt will once again be aiming to go all the way again and will be banking on the fact that they have made it to the last three finals.
Returning to bolster this dream will be ‘Golden Jaguar’ first choice custodian Richard Reynolds and teammates, Collie ‘Hitman’ Hercules, who is also the player Coach of Tobago United in the T&T Pro League, Carey Harris and Kayode McKinnon.
This quartet of players have been the back bone of the Topp XX side for many years and will be seeking to win that elusive 6th title.
The local bunch under the leadership of coaches Michael McKinnon, Ellis and Sheldon Noel all former players, have been undergoing intense training (day & night) at the Linden Technical Institute ground and speaking with K-Sport club Secretary Beverly Mc Donald said she is confident of the team taking the 2008/09 title.
“We are very positive we will take the title, we are out to stop the dominance of defending champions Alpha United who have been doing very well in the past year.”
Sometime during this week, sponsor of the club Bakewell is expected to give the club their usual contribution ahead of the tournament.
The local based players are; Carlos Browne (GK), Ruel Williams, Michael Crandon, Delroy Dainty, Junior Bastiani, Shevane Seaforth, Francis Primo, Romain Haynes, Jaimi Wilson, Jamal Rogers, Curth Murphy, Keon Sears, Michael Wills, Ron Fiedtkou, Javin Crawford, Kevin Beaton, Quacy Johnson and Selwyn Isaacs.
Topp XX are presently second to Milerock in the UDFA first division league with the former needing just 3 points from a similar amount of matches remaining to clinch the title.
What ever happens, though, for sure two of the four teams on Sunday’s opening night will walk the plank or better yet, go home, making the fight to stay put even more exciting.
The traditional march-past and official opening is expected to take place after Sunday’s opening game between Milerock and Pele. Kick off time is 18:30hrs.
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
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