Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 08, 2012 Sports
The Cooperative Republic of Guyana recently achieved another milestone in the world of sports. The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) which is a 100+ years old celebrated 36 years of playing World Cup Football.
Kaieteur Sport is pleased to inform you our readers that Statistician Charwayne Walker will be featuring a number of the players who represented Guyana at World Cup Football through the years.
Our first featured player is Earl O’Neal, Guyana World Cup player 1976-1980.
Earl O’Neal – Guyana International 1971 to 1980; two time Caribbean selectee 1973 and 1978.
Although he never represented the Land of Many Waters as a junior, Earl O’Neal still realized his dreams of wearing the National colours. His moment of truth occurred September 1971 when he was selected as one of Ken Gibbs’ defence men against Suriname at the National Stadium in Paramaribo, his International debut was dreadful as Guyana lost 4-1.
But he was outstanding in the return fixture in Georgetown which Guyana lost 3-2. The Caribbean Football Union Club Championship was his next International engagement in October of 1971 and although he was under the leadership at Ken Gibbs this time, it was for Thomas United FC; his opponents this time were Suriname’s Top Club, Transvaal.
The Guyana top Club lost both matches home and away leaving Earl O’Neal winless in four International matches. O’Neal’s next International assignment was in French Guiana October 1972 and he tasted victory for the first time as a national player when the Ken Gibbs led squad won two (2) matches and drew one.
Haiti then visited the land of the Majestic Kaieteur Falls for two Internationals in January 1973 and although O’Neal was spectacular in defence, Guyana lost both matches at the Guyana Sports Club Ground.
His next International opponent was the Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors who paid a courtesy call February of 1973 for two matches. Earl O’Neal’s stubborn work in defence earned Guyana a draw in the first match but faulty goalkeeping by debutant custodian Clarke allowed the Soca Warriors a 3-1 victory in the series decider.
O’Neil’s hectic (1973) calendar continued when Guyana reciprocated and hosted French Guiana for two matches they surprisingly lost the opening encounter at Malteenoes 1-0 but rebound to win the final game 2-0.
Hull City the English second division team then visited in May 1973 and thrashed Guyana 5-0 at the once World famous GCC Ground, Bourda. In the next game against Hull City he made his debut for the Caribbean Football team and in a memorable performance at the back, the Caribbean side held the visitors to a 1-1 draw at GCC Ground.
O’Neal, Maurice Enmore, Ken Gibbs then shut down Jamaica under lights at GFC Ground after Carlton Smith scored to send the Reggae Boyz ahead in the 15 minute, but goals by Godfrey Norville and Rudolph Hunte complimented the work of the defence quartet as Guyana triumphed 2-1 in October 1973.
However, the Caricom Championship hopes of the Guyanese were dashed when Suriname eliminated the boys from the Land of Many Waters 2-0 in the next game. Guyana failed to play any International matches in 1974 so Earl O’Neal had to settle for Thomas United and Georgetown Sub Association matches to ply his trade.
His next International engagement was to Brazil with the World Cup Squad in 1975 and as Guyana intensified its World Cup preparations in 1976 he marshaled the defence against Bare of Boa Vista and Texaco of Trinidad.
Cuba was O’Neal’s next opponent, May 1976 although Castro’s Men won all four (4) Internationals at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden, Burnham Park New Amsterdam, GCC Bourda; these games gave the Guyana 1976 World Cup squad a tremendous boost.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s St. Mirren Scottish first division team deplaned at the Timehri International Airport unbeaten on their first Caribbean tour but O’Neal and company spoiled Sir Alex’ slate by stopping the Scotsmen at GCC in June 1976.
His {O’Neil} childhood dream was realized on the 4th of July 1976 when Guyana made its World Cup debut, O’Neal stood firm in defence as the Land of Many Waters behind goals from Vibert Butts, and Keith Niles defeated Suriname 2-0. He would not forget his next World Cup game, September 1976 in Paramaribo; Guyana lost 3-0, a result that eliminated them from the 1978 finals in Argentina.
With little time to recover from the Suriname debacle, O’Neal was marshaling Thomas United’s defence in the CFU Club Championship against Palo Seco of Trinidad. United lost both matches home and away September in 1976.
His final International engagement in 1976 was against Curacao in two Internationals October 1976.
Guyana playing without the Pele FC members drew the first match 1-1 with debutant 17 year-old Camptown School boy Colin Hinds scoring. In the series final, O’Neal and company lost 4-1, Hinds again was Guyana’s goal scorer.
In the following year, 1977, O’Neil took over the National Captaincy from Santos’ Maurice Enmore. He started his first series as National Captain with a 2-1 Victory over T&T at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground; Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton’s penalty and a Trinidad own goal finalized proceedings Guyana’s way.
O’Neal’s men drew the second game 2-2 at GCC, but lost the final encounter 2-0 at the same venue losing the series on goal difference.
He won his next International series at the helm. Playing against Barbados October, 1977 Guyana triumphed 2-0 in the opening encounter at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground. Goals came from the boots of Yam Prince and the skipper himself. Ironically this was O’Neal’s only International goal of his illustrious career. Guyana drew the next two matches to lift the American Life trophy.
Cuba’s National Under-23 team was the next opponent for O’Neal’s men. Castro’s National Reserves won the first three games but a double by Maurice Enmore forced a 2-2 draw and denied the visitors from Havana sweeping the series which concluded in December, 1977.
The Thomas United defensive stalwart was again entrusted with the National Captaincy in 1978 and O’Neal’s men started the 1978 campaign in Bridgetown losing 1-0 and 3-0 in two Internationals they also lost both matches to Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain.
Suriname continued their {Guyana} dismal showing in 1978 by knocking them out of the Caribbean Nation’s Cup by winning both games home and away. O’Neal’s next International outing in 1978 was for Thomas United in the CFU Club Championship against Trinidad’s Defence Force.
Thomas won the first game 1-0 at GCC behind Ferdinand ‘Stary’ Hodge’s goal but lost the return fixture 3-1 in Trinidad. The Chinese provincial team Kwang Tung then visited in September of 1978 and thrashed the Guyana team 5-0.
O’Neal was also selected in the Caribbean team that played against Kwang Tung in the next game. The National team under O’Neal also lost 5-0 to the Russian touring Textile team in December 1978.
Guyana, after naming O’Neal as National Captain in 1979 withdrew from the CFU Nations Cup. When Guyana returned to the World Cup stage in 1980, Earl O’Neal was unanimously named Captain. Unlike 1976, this time, their opponents was Grenada playing in front a capacity crowd at the world famous GCC Bourda Grenada scored two early goals that caused a panic amongst the partisan crowd.
However, goals from Clyde ‘Oiler’ Watson (a brace), Clyde ‘Wooly’ Forde, Ashton Taylor and Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite eased Guyana to an emphatic 5-2 Victory. In the return fixture Guyana behind another double from Clyde ‘Oiler’ Watson silenced the Spice Isle 3-2 and O’Neal became the first Captain to lead Guyana to the second round of World Cup qualifiers.
Guyana lost their second round matches home and away to Suriname 1-0 at GCC and 4-0 in Paramaribo; they also lost home and away to Cuba 1-0 in Havana and 3-0 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground.
Strange enough that was O’Neal’s last match in National colours, his next National duties was as Coach of the successful Inter Guiana Games team in 1993-94. He was also Guyana’s Senior National Coach in 1997.
The Million dollar question still being asked, is why O’Neal was unceremoniously omitted from the 1983 National squad?
With O’Neal marshalling the defence there is no way Everton Gonsalves of Antigua could have scored 4 goals alone.
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