Five Under-20 players were denied entry into Nicaragua by the immigration authorities. Upon arrival, the immigration authorities informed the staff that a quarantine period of 10 days was required for the Yellow Fever vaccine. The U20 contingent did not satisfy that condition. Strangely however, 10 players with the exact vaccination date were permitted entry into the country.
The Under-20 Team Manager also complained about the hostile reception the team received from the Nicaraguan immigration authorities, who subjected the players and staff to several layers of security checks that lasted for hours.
This development has resulted in the reduction of the team to 15 players less one Goalkeeper, two Midfielders and two Defenders who thus exited the tournament.
The GFF will be making a formal complaint to Concacaf once all the details are presented by the Management Team.
The GFF has since informed the parents/caregivers of the players in question about the situation and has been in contact with the players throughout the ordeal in order to ensure their safe return to Guyana.
The Concacaf U20 Men’s Qualifiers will be held in Nicaragua from February 15 – 23.
Guyana’s match schedule is as follows:
MATCH 1: 15th February @ 17:30hrs – Guyana vs Montserrat
MATCH 2: 17th February @ 17:30hrs – St. Vincent & The Grenadines vs Guyana
MATCH 3: 21st February @ 20:30hrs – US Virgin Islands vs Guyana
MATCH 4: 23rd February @ 20:30hrs – Nicaragua vs Guyana