By Neto Baptiste
Veteran Josh Parker is amongst six UK-based players set to wear national colours when the Antigua and Barbuda Senior Men’s National Football Team take on Guyana in the CONCACAF Nation’s League here at the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) technical centre on Saturday.
Parker, who first played for the Benna Boys in 2014 is joined by defender Aaron Taylor Sinclair, Sutton United’s defender Dion Periera, winger for Maidenhead United Ashley Nathaniel George, Dagenham & Redbridge’s Myles Weston (midfielder) and Welling United’s midfielder, Thomas-James Bramble.
Interim head coach, Anthony Ferguson, welcomed the inclusion of the UK-based players and their level of preparedness ahead of the clash.
“We’re in September now so they would have started competitive matches maybe four to five weeks ago, and would have been in pre-season training four weeks before that, so they have had eight weeks, potentially 10 weeks, with four weeks of matches, most of them playing two matches per week, and you cannot create that kind of match fitness in terms of training, so I think the selection process has been a correct one,” he said.
Ferguson, also out of the UK, said the players were selected by head coach, Mikele Leigertwood, who will not be in Antigua for the match due to personal commitments.
“He has worked with the players here, he has worked with the players overseas and he knows that certain players will bring certain experiences, level of skills, level of competence and levels of integrity that should enhance the players we have here. I have to trust his judgment because I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s a man of high levels of integrity and he wants the best for Antiguan football,” the coach said.
Asked about the lack of competitive warm-up matches leading into Saturday’s clash, Ferguson said that although matches against quality opposition is always welcomed, the FA has found creative ways to help prepare the players.
“What I think has happened this time, and I’ve got to thank the ABFA for doing it, is that theywanted to put people into camp earlier, and they wanted people to have more opportunities to develop. The key is always when you link the players together from overseas with the homegrown players, and I think they have tried to do their best to make it happen, but nothing beats competition because that tells you where you’re at. One of the things they are talking about is how to build-in more friendly games in between the competitive games to also give exposure and opportunity to more of the players who play here on a weekly basis,” he said.
The FA is yet to name a full squad for Saturday’s match which is slated to kick off at 3:30 pm at the FA’s facility on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway.
Antigua and Barbuda will then travel to the Bahamas where they will take on Puerto Rico on Tuesday.