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Tonight, the Belize National Football Team, the Jaguars, is on its way to Guyana. Team Belize is preparing to play its final match of this round of the Concacaf Nation's League Tournament. Belize has a very good chance of making it into the top 10, and if they do so, the country will make history and qualify for the Gold Cup for a second time. 

If you've been following the team's performance you'll know that the Jaguars have played 3 international matches in this tournament so far, and they've won 2 out of 3. They defeated the Bahamas with a score of 4-nil, and Puerto Rico with a score of 1-nil. When they travelled to Montserrat for an away game, however, they lost with a final score of 0 to 1.

Right now on CONCACAF's website, Belize is ranked 13th place, 3 away from qualifying to the Gold Cup, and so, this upcoming match against Guyana needs to be a win if the team wants to move up in time to qualify.

They are depending on the support of the Belizean football fans to keep morale high, as they try to defeat the Guyanese National team on their home turf. So, before the team left today, the Football Federation of Belize hosted a meet and greet event at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex Today. The team was greeted by a large group of primary school fans. The players interacted with the youths for a few hours before the left to catch their flight.

Here's what the coach staff and several members of the team had to say about their prospects of winning this upcoming match.

Dale Pelaya Sr. - Assistant Coach, National Team
"We have studied Guyana. We have seen how they have played in their games, and we have studied them on tapes. They are physical. They are fast. Within the Caribbean countries, we know that these countries are physical. They are just like us, but I believe the technical part of the game, we are more technical than them. And that's what we've been working on in holding position of the ball. In holding position of the ball, that will give us opportunity and more looks at golds. And with more looks at goals, 1 will count.

"For us in Belize, it's just a point. It's just the win. We don't need to really focus on goal. We need the 3 points which will give us 9, which will put us in the bracket of the top 10, in making it to the Gold Cup. We are not pressured, depending on another country to beat another team by any score." 

"We need to go into Guyana; 1-nil will give us the 3 points that we need to make it, and repeat history once again. Everybody is physically prepared. Everybody is healthy, and we believe that we are carrying the best that we believe we have in Belize and internationally to repeat history. Our players are mentally focused."

Elroy Smith - Defence, National Team
"We go out, and we train day in, day out. We train separately with your clubs, and then come to the National team on Monday.The coaches take us, the defenders one side, and they show us how they want us to move, and prepare us for whatever attack that Guyana might bring."

Reporter
"What level of game you think Guyana will bring on Saturday?"

Elroy Smith
"Well, they're at home, so it's obvious that they're gonna come out attacking. So, we have got to be prepared mentally for the first - at 20 minutes of the game because it's gonna start out intense."

Nana Mensah - Midfield, National Team
"I see our streets as - in the midfield, we're very strong. We have quality strikers, and our defensive line is very experienced. So, we I think that with experience, we have what it takes."

Harrison "Cafu" Roaches - Striker, National Team
"This is a nice opportunity for all of us because now, we are mature enough to know that football is about team. We are well prepared because the coaches took time out, and prepared us well for out there. So, whatever they come with, we are ready."

Reporter
"Cafu you're one of the more experienced players on this particular. What part of our experience have you shared with the young players, going into the match with Guyana?"

Harrison "Cafu" Roaches
"Well, I tell them to be confident in themselves, and let us play as a team. Defend together, attack together, play together as a whole. Just play as a team."

Woodrow West - Goalkeeper, National Team
"The game in general is gonna be hard because we're gonna be on their turf. So, we have to be patient for the first 20 to 25 minutes of the game, hold out, and see what they're all about, and then stick to that plan and then execute after that, due to what the coach has been training this week with us."

Team Belize takes on the Guyana National team on Saturday, March 23rd, at 2:30 in he afternoon, Belize time.

As we showed you, the Assistant Coach asserted that the Jaguars only have to win this match and Belize qualifies to the Gold Cup. Well, experienced football enthusiasts tell us that it's not that simple. They say that goal differential could play a factor in the final 10 countries which qualify, and so, if Team Belize wants to assure that it has a spot in the Gold Cup, it needs to win by a comfortable margin. Currently, Guyana is sitting in the 8th place, which means that if they win the match, they may end up qualifying and ending Belize's chance to do so.