Michael Johnson (right) spent five seasons as a player at Derby between 2003-2008
Guyana's sporting heritage is not extensive.
Cricketing greats Clive Lloyd, Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul were born there. Boxer Michael Anthony is its single Olympic medallist, and the bronze from the Moscow Games in 1980 was aided considerably by a political boycott that meant there was no participation from the United States.
In football, there has been no appearance at the Concacaf Gold Cup, let alone the World Cup.
Guyana's current Fifa ranking of 182 puts them between Cuba and Bhutan and two places ahead of Malta, who have not won a competitive game since 2013.
Nevertheless, former Notts County, Birmingham and Derby defender Michael Johnson is not daunted by the challenge he has taken on as the national side's new head coach.
Michael Johnson wants level playing field for black coaches
Doing things the right way
A country of 800,000, geographically squeezed between Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname in South America but belonging to the North and Central American region in footballing terms, Guyana's recent footballing history has been chaotic.
The national team did not play a game between November 2012 and September 2014.
Prior to that a World Cup qualifier with Mexico was moved to the United States at short notice to maximise revenue and players had gone on strike at the $12-a-day allowance they were given to compete in the Caribbean Cup.
During the hiatus that followed, then-Guyana Football Federation president Christopher Matthias said he no longer wished the Golden Jaguars to select players from overseas, ruling out English-born brothers Leon and Carl Cort, who won eight and six international caps respectively.
That self-imposed ban has been lifted and Guyana are now playing again.
But given a chronic lack of investment and woeful facilities - Guyana play matches at the national cricket stadium - Johnson needed to do some due diligence before accepting the role.
"I have always been an honest footballer, who gives his all and is 100% transparent," said the 45-year-old, who was appointed boss of the Golden Jaguars in June.
"I have tested the waters and from what I have seen so far, it is a situation I can work with.
"There has been a lot of corruption around the region. But, as far as Guyana is concerned, there is a new president now.
"He has declared the accounts, which has not been done in the past. He wants to do things in the right way."
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