GEORGETOWN, Guyana — In a less-than-ideal scenario, Theodore Whitmore’s Jamaica open the defence of their CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016 round-three game against Guyana here at the Leonora Stadium at 8:00 pm (7:00 pm Jamaica time).

The Jamaicans, who arrived here late Sunday night and with a handful of players arriving early yesterday morning, were scheduled to have their only training session together at the game venue at 7:00 pm (6:00 pm) yesterday.

Additionally, Whitmore, who has been appointed interim head coach for today’s game and that also against Suriname — which was slated for last Wednesday at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, but was postponed to a date to be announced due to the passage of Hurricane Matthew — told a press conference here yesterday that the final list of players was basically selected by outgoing Head Coach Winfried Schaefer, and as such he had not worked with some of the players.

Jamaica are drawn in a group with Guyana and Suriname, with the latter defeating Guyana 3-2 in extra time on Saturday in Suriname. These games are play to finish, which means that there has to be a winner at the end of regulation time or extra time will be employed.

The winners of each of the four groups from round three qualify for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup as well as the Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup Final slate for next June 22-25.

The three best second-placed teams will qualify for the fifth-placed CFU play-offs. The winner of the CFU play-off will contest the fifth CONCACAF Gold Cup spot, which pits together the fifth-placed CFU team vs the fifth-placed UNCAF team.

“It is a tricky tie, we know what we have to do here to get a positive result. I think we have a squad capable of getting the job done and we just have to remain focused and positive and go out there and give of our best,” Whitmore told the Jamaica Observer yesterday ahead of the training session.

And regarding the limited time international coaches are afforded to prepare teams, he added:

“It’s always like this, so this evening we have a training session for maybe 45 minutes, so there is not much we can get done there, but we want to look at set pieces and how we are going to approach the game tomorrow night and hope for the best.

“It is a difficult moment for us because we just missed out on the Russia 2018 World Cup Finals. But we have a game coming up tomorrow (today) and the preparation was not ideal, as we will be having just one training session together this evening.”

The former Reggae Boy star informed that he has been having one on one meetings with players in an effort to get across his system and how each individual fits in.

“That’s what I have been doing since joining up with the players — I’ve met with a couple of players, I’ve met with Lowe (Damion), I’ve met with Watson (Je-Vaughn), Kemar Lawrence — and that is even more important because this is a squad selected largely by the previous coach and some of these players on the list I wouldn’t have got the chance to work with them before, so it is important to get some one-on-one meetings with them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s captain, Chris Nurse of Puerto Rico FC in the NASL, said his team is excited to be hosting the Reggae Boyz.

“It is a game that we as players are excited for, I don’t think we would have faced a team with the magnitude of Jamaica since we played against Mexico and Trinidad and Costa Rica, so it is going to be a test for our team.”

For Jamaal Shabazz, the Trinidadian head coach, today’s meeting is massive for Caribbean football, primarily because two Caribbean-born and-bred coaches will lead their teams into battle, a scenario not seen too often in recent times.

“I think it is a big day for Caribbean football and for Guyana, having to play Jamaica. We played Jamaica in 2012 in a friendly game in Jamaica, but this is a big day because Caribbean coaches are getting a chance to hold the national teams at the highest level.

“It is important for us to stay in the competition and it is important for Guyana to make a good impression and a good performance to show that we are capable for matching a team like Jamaica. They have some trouble because too often in the Caribbean we think about a game and a competition and we think only for today; we must think for tomorrow and for the next generation and when we are pushed in that ‘today jacket’ the fashion changes so quickly, tomorrow we are out of fashion. So we want to approach this game for the long term and for trying to get the best possible result, but a proud moment for us,” said Shabazz.

And having faced such a setback, Whitmore informed the Observer that after carefully examining his 19-man squad, he plans to employ a 3-5-2 formation today with Andre Blake in goal guarded by Rosario Harriott, Damion Lowe and Dicoy Williams in central defence. Dwayne Ambursely will guard the centre of the park flanked by Kemar Lawrence and Oneil Fisher, with Shaun Francis and captain Watson parading further up the field behind Michael Binns, who will be employed as a withdrawn striker behind Cory Burke.

The squad is completed by Ryan Thompson, Ladale Richie, Andrew Vanzie, Ewan Grandison, Allan Ottey, Dino Williams, Owayne Gordon and Omar Holness.