Golden Jaguars to battle The Walia Ibex in July

May 22, 2023 Sports

Kaieteur News – Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde on Saturday announced the Golden Jaguars will play a historic international friendly against Ethiopia on July 8 in the United States.

The fixture between Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Team and the Ethiopian Football Federation Men’s National Team – nicknamed The Walia Ibex, will take place at the Subaru Park in Philadelphia from 7:30 pm. This will be the first time Guyana will play an Africa team since the federation was founded 121 years ago.

GFF President Forde on May 20 said the match is a proud and momentous moment for Guyana’s football and that he is confident the Golden Jaguars will represent the nation well.

“The Guyana Football Federation is the oldest Federation in Concacaf. We became a Federation in 1902 and are now 121 years old and among the oldest football Federations on the planet. In all of these years, July 8th, 2023 will be the very first time our Senior Men’s team will face an African Nation. This is truly an amazing opportunity to punctuate a proud and historic moment in the storied history of our Nation’s football. The game will be played on the heels of our beloved Golden Gold Cup qualification fixtures, so we are all confident of a solid performance of our Boys,” Forde said.

Guyana’s top men are currently training for their June Gold Cup Prelims campaign. FIFA World Ranking has Guyana’s senior men’s team at 170 and Ethiopia, the one-time Africa Cup of Nations champions, at 142 as of April 2023.

Teams are ranked using a points system on international form based on their current performances.

The July clash is expected to be memorable, both teams are quick on the pitch and have the ability to secure multiple goals. It will also be Ethiopia’s first time playing in the United States.

GFF President Forde has appealed to fans and corporate Guyana to support the groundbreaking international match as the GFF seeks to create elite opportunities for the Golden Jaguars.

“I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to our fans and corporate partners to come on board and share in this historic moment of Guyana’s most popular sport.”

• Golden Jaguars, Guyana Football Federation, President Wayne Forde, The Walia Ibex