MAYAGÜEZ, Puerto Rico — October, 2026 — Dominica’s senior men’s national football team suffered a heavy 8-1 defeat to Guyana on Sunday in their CONCACAF Nations League League B encounter in Puerto Rico.
The “Bouyon Boyz” did not live up to expectations and were woeful, trailing 4-0 at halftime before Guyana added four more goals after the break. Reon Cuffy scored Dominica’s lone goal.
Head coach Kurt Herd accepted responsibility for the team’s approach to the game, saying his instructions to the players ultimately contributed to the disappointing performance.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll take responsibility because I told the boys to go and play football,” Herd said. “And they attempted to play football, probably overplayed, and shot themselves in the foot a little bit, but ultimately I’ve given them instructions to go and play football, and that’s been our downfall,” Herd said the team struggled to maintain its discipline and organisation after falling behind.
“After that, heads go down, we’re not making the runs, we’re not tracking runners, the boys start to make silly decisions on the field, and ultimately we let ourselves down very badly there tonight,” he said.
The coach also acknowledged the challenges facing the national team and the gap in preparation and player development that Dominica must address.
“We’re dealing with amateur football players, technically aren’t good enough, physically not good enough, and I almost feel like I’ve been sent into a gunfight with a teaspoon, to be honest,” Herd said. “But I hold my hands up, and I take the blame for that.”
The defeat leaves Dominica facing a difficult challenge as the team looks to secure its position in CONCACAF Nations League League B.
With remaining matches still to be played, the Bouyon Boyz will need to regroup quickly and produce positive results in their upcoming fixtures. Points will be vital as Dominica looks to improve its position and avoid the threat of
relegation.
Herd said the team must learn from the experience and find a way to respond. “We have to recognise” the challenges facing the group, he said, while accepting that “I’m always the face of it as the coach, so it’s me that takes the brunt of it, and rightly so.”
Herd also addressed the absence of forward Troy Jules, explaining that Jules informed him the night before the match that he no longer wished to represent the national team under Herd’s tenure.
“Unfortunately, Troy, just a difference of professional opinion,” Herd said. “Troy last night made himself unavailable, said that he no longer wanted to represent the national team under my tenure, which is fine; I respect that,” Herd said the decision was therefore made to remove Jules from the squad for the match.
“Not anything personal, Troy’s a great guy, but certainly a difference of professional opinion,” he added. The Bouyon Boyz will regroup ahead of the November international window, when the team will have another opportunity to fight for crucial points and keep its League B campaign alive.