26 year-old Philadelphia Union defensive midfielder Warren Creavalle received a surprise call-up to the Guyana National team this week ahead of their friendly game against Martinique on Tuesday 28th March in Linden, Guyana. Creavalle, who made his international debut in October against Suriname, was announced as part of a 30-man Guyana squad on Thursday 23rd March and will be hoping to gain his third cap for the nation.

Martinique will represent a massive challenge for Guyana’s ‘’Golden Jaguars’’, as they have qualified for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup and are using this tie as preparation for that tournament. Guyana have tended to utilise locally-based players in the past for friendly games, but in a statement of intent, have called up Creavalle, Brandon Beresford of the Rochester Rhinos, and Captain Sam Cox, who is based in England. The game will not be held in the capital Georgetown, but rather, in the smaller town of Linden, which last hosted an International game in 2011.

For Creavalle, this will be a chance to gain a first victory in the yellow of Guyana, having featured in their 3-2 loss to Suriname and 4-2 loss to Jamaica last October in 2017 Caribbean Cup qualifiers, albeit he was not at 100% fitness in those games.

Guyana Football Federation Technical Director Ian Greenwood said ahead of the game: ‘’This is a strong, diverse national squad, with a rich mix of home and overseas-based players, and some promising young players, it is going to be a great opportunity to measure our progress against what is likely to be an impressive Martinique side. We are urging the whole country to get behind the Golden Jaguars.”

Hopefully 2017 will see both Creavalle and Guyana achieve great things together.