“THE REGGAE BOYZ? YES, THERE ARE SIMILARITIES”
Guyana have made their first Gold Cup, aided by English talent (and Sven)
Former Birmingham and Derby defender Michael Johnson was once a member of the famous Reggae Boyz – now he’s masterminding another Caribbean miracle, with some help from Sven-goran Eriksson.
Johnson (above) represented Jamaica on 13 occasions as a player, and took on his first management role last year by becoming boss of Guyana. The Golden Jaguars were ranked 182nd in the world when he arrived, and didn’t play a single match between 2012 and 2014 due to off-field issues.
Johnson has since guided the country to their first major tournament – they make their CONCACAF Gold Cup debut this month, in a group featuring Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and the mighty United States. “We’re enormously proud,” Johnson tells FFT. “This has never been done in the history of Guyanese football.”
The opportunity arose thanks to a recommendation from ex-west Brom, Wigan and Blackburn striker Jason Roberts, now CONCACAF’S director of development.
“Jason was aware of opportunities in the region and put forward candidates from the UK,” explains Johnson. “I’d coached at Notts County – I had a spell as caretaker manager when Sven-goran Eriksson (right) was director of football – and also at Birmingham and Cardiff. Jason mentioned Guyana to me and I said, ‘Why not? Put me forward.’”
One of 200 hopefuls, the Nottingham lad impressed at his interview and was offered the job, soon hiring ex-coventry defender Paul Williams as a coach and beginning to change the culture of the national setup. It’s helped tempt a number of English-born players to join the squad. Stevenage’s Terence Vancooten, Dover’s Kadell Daniel and Bury midfielder Neil Danns were already involved, as were Hampton & Richmond duo Sam Cox and Marcel Barrington. But Johnson has since drafted in Reading’s Callum Harriott, Whitehawk’s Ronayne Marsh-brown, Dover’s Anthony Jeffrey, Bolton’s Stephen Duke-mckenna and Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder Elliot Bonds. “Previously, a lot of the diaspora were disgruntled with the way things were ran,” says Johnson. “But we went in with a staff who knew how to do things, results started to change and players wanted to be part of it.” Gold Cup qualification was sealed thanks to a 2-1 win over Belize, when a message from Eriksson boosted the squad. “Sven was pivotal in us qualifying – he sent over a good luck message to the players and staff, which was very well received,” adds Johnson. “That night was one of the highlights of my whole career. The ground usually holds 2,000, but we had 5,000 there and it was hysteria. Supporters ran onto the pitch at the end, while grown men were crying.” The 45-year-old wants Guyana to sustain long-term success in a way that Jamaica didn’t. “I see some similarities with the Reggae Boyz but lessons need to be learned – Jamaica never qualified for a World Cup after that,” he says. “You look at the Caribbean nations, and at the last few World Cups, where are we? The tournament increases to 48 teams in 2026, so that’s an opportunity for us. “I want us to set the bar high at the Gold Cup, to get out of the group. Our first game against the USA is a David vs Goliath story. You could be a David who upsets the odds, so why can’t we?”