Patience and patriotism
Belize football fans hanging tough
Sun. June 12, 2022; Mon. June 13, 2022
On Tuesday of this week, Belize’s National Male “A” Team, the Jaguars, will play its fourth game in the current Concacaf Nations League (CNL) qualifying tournament for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, which the Jaguars have only once attended, in 2013. So far, Belize has lost 2-0 to the Dominican Republic at the FFB Stadium, and 2-0 to Guatemala in Guatemala, and last Thursday, we drew 1-1 with French Guiana at the FFB Stadium. On Tuesday, June 14, we play the return match in French Guiana. And Belizean football fans are getting edgy, as another loss would not only erase any hope of qualifying for the Gold Cup, but could push Belize close to possible relegation to a lower level in the Concacaf pecking order. While our patriotism remains strong, the patience of football fans may be running low with our Football Federation of Belize (FFB).
In an effort to create more opportunities for competition and development of football standards in the (North, Central American and Caribbean) region, Concacaf has separated its 41 members into three leagues—League A (12 teams), League B (16 teams), and League C (13 teams), “based on the results of the 2019 CNL group stage;” and will also include “a promotion and relegation system (bottom team in each group relegated and top team in each group promoted)”. So, in League B there are groups A, B, C and D, with 4 teams each. Belize is in League B’s Group D along with the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and French Guiana, and not only will our group winner move on to the next round of qualifying for the Gold Cup, but they will also be promoted to League A, while the group’s last-place team will be relegated to League C. Currently, Belize has 1 point, Guatemala has 4 pts, the Dominican Republic has 4 pts, and French Guiana has 7 pts. After Tuesday’s match in French Guiana, Belize will have two more Group D games, against Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, which will take place sometime after March 1, 2023.
Ever since achieving FIFA membership back in 1986, Belizean football has remained in a struggle to rise above the class of “minnows” in our Central American region of Concacaf. Beginning with the administration of Dr. Bertie Chimilio (1998 to 2012), FIFA funds have been pouring in to the FFB to improve its administration, to help develop our football infrastructure, and for the training of coaches, managers and referees. With a million plus dollars each year being pumped into the FFB’s coffers, fans have been supportive and responsive to the FFB’s call to “believe in the process.” But over the years there have been some concerns and questions about the spending of the FIFA dollars. A change of administration to new president Ruperto Vicente (2012 to 2016) saw a mild success with Costa Rican coach Leroy Sherrier Lewis, as Belize achieved our first visit to the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2013. But we seemed to have slipped back since then; and after a controversial FFB election saw executive member Marlon Kuylen serving as acting president for a year and a half, a new FFB president, Sergio Chuc took charge in December 2017, and was subsequently re-elected in August of 2020 for four more years. But our football continues to struggle.
As the FFB argues, the almost two-year shutdown due to Covid-19 has certainly been a setback for Belize football, unlike other countries where the sport continued to be played. But Belizean fans are nevertheless losing some of their zeal for the national team after repeated disappointments, and they naturally look to the FFB for answers. Granted, a lot has been accomplished administratively under the current FFB leadership. FIFA development funds have seen a major upgrading of the FFB Stadium, so that Belize now boasts not one, but two FIFA- approved stadiums for international matches – the Isidoro Beaton Stadium and the FFB Stadium. Major improvements have also occurred with the stadiums in Dangriga and Punta Gorda, and the Ambergris Stadium has its new synthetic turf. There have been various training courses for referees and coaches; groundwork has begun on the new “Berger 404” Stadium; the FFB has organized a national women’s league, and has prepared national teams to represent Belize in regional competitions for males and females in U15 and U20, along with the National Senior Male and Female Teams; and there is more that they have done. Why, then, are some fans becoming very critical of the FFB?
The answer is simple. Fans are tired of losing. Belizean football fans have been patient, and many still are. But as time goes by, more and more fans are voicing their disapproval and even disgust on social media in regard to various issues connected with the national team – from the selection of players, to the decisions made by the coach, to even the choice of coach, etc. etc. And it is not because fans don’t like their team; in fact, it is precisely because they love their team that they become agitated when losing seems to be becoming a habit, and there is not sufficient evidence that we are making progress. And now to hear that, instead of going forward, there is the real possibility that Belize could be going backwards, to be relegated to a lower group in Concacaf?
This is a difficult time for our Belize Jaguars, our national coach, and ultimately, the president of the FFB. You asked for the job, Señor Chuc. And in the final analysis, fans will judge the effectiveness of any football administration by the performance on the field of our national male “A” team. Our U15 girls were just subjected to an aggregated 17-0 score over two “preparation” matches in Costa Rica, which is reminiscent of scores our national female “A” team used to endure a couple decades ago when female football was still in its infancy in Belize. Nowadays our women “A” team is much more competitive, so we must admit there has been some progress there. But, while it may be argued that we were set back for two years due to the pandemic, and that the groundwork is being laid for the future development of our football, and that there is no truth to claims of favoritism or other impropriety in the administration of the sport, the fact is that we can only use Covid-19 as an excuse for so long. The clock is winding down.
Of course, this is just football, and with eleven against eleven, any number can play. But in international competition, it is more than football, or any sport. Our national pride is involved whenever our national team takes the field. Until he steps down or is fired, national team coach David Perez Asensio, who has proven his mettle with national champions Verdes, needs to know that we appreciate the heck of a job he is trying to accomplish in transitioning our national team to a younger crop of players who are just developing their confidence on the international stage. And our players, veterans and youths, need to always know that we, Belizean fans, are behind them one hundred percent, despite whatever the shortcomings of our football administrators. We will have to address those shortcomings at another time; but for right now, come Tuesday noon in French Guiana, our patriotism must trump our impatience. Regardless to what, we da Jaguars; so just gi wi all unu gat, guys! “We love wi nation!” Le’s go, Belize!!