The opportunity for an individual to represent a nation is a lifelong accomplishment that many only dream of reaching. For Western Illinois women’s soccer newcomer Audrey Narine, that achievement has been attained and met with generating inspiration in Guyana.  

Born in Toronto, Audrey is half Guyanese after her father Tracy immigrated to Canada in 1977. The tiny nation of less than 800,000 gained its independence in 1966 and is situated at the northern end of the South America mainland between Venezuela and Suriname.    

Her home club of Pickering FC had a connection established with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), and Audrey had been asked multiple times to try out. Finally, she and her dad were convinced by assistant coach Paul DeAbreu to give it a chance.

After attending training sessions, she received the life-changing letter from the GFF welcoming her to the U-20 team. At just 17 years old, Audrey was going to be representing the nation and the game her father introduced her to. 

The story wrote itself as the qualifying stage of the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship took place back in Guyana. 

On July 13, 2019, Audrey made her national team debut in a 2-0 win over Bermuda. The feelings were like none other when she stepped onto the pitch.

Eventually the nerves faded and the game slowed down as she got in her touches and made some runs. Audrey’s mindset became, “I got this,” as she was instrumental in the attack. 

The team won all four qualifying matches in front of their home fans, outscoring its opponents 9-1 to earn a spot in the group stage.

“Having played in front of the Guyanese fans in the country at our first tournament helped make the victories that much better.”

Unfortunately, her father was not able to travel to Guyana for the tournament because of work, but the whole family was glued to a Facebook page that they reloaded every few minutes for updates. 

Having achieved their team goal of placing number one in their qualifying group, the road didn’t get any easier. The national team, nicknamed the Lady Jags, was placed in Group D with Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua. The group stage was set to kick off in February of 2020. 

“There were a lot of nerves and intimidation going into the next stage. I knew the powerhouse of Mexico was in our group and a lot of good individual players had been mentioned for us to watch out for.”

Having not scored in the first leg, Audrey was hungry to get the taste of an international goal and it wouldn’t take long as she scored in the first match against Nicaragua.

“It was one of my most memorable moments and when I scored, I just wanted to make my dad proud.” 

Back in Toronto, Tracy was overjoyed as he was able to see the cherished memory while the game was streamed online.  

The goal could not have come at a more perfect time as it was the 50th Republic Anniversary of Guyana, known as Mashramani. Audrey’s 19th-minute goal led to a 3-1 victory and three big points in the opener. 

However, a more significant moment was on the horizon for #9 in the next match against Puerto Rico. 

Needing a victory to solidify the Lady Jags’ chance of making the next stage (Round of 16) of the lengthy tournament, both sides entered halftime scoreless, along with a frustrated Audrey. 

“I had three or four breakaway opportunities to score but could not capitalize on any one of them. From then on, I began to hit a slump as my confidence in front of the net decreased.”

However, the forward stayed positive and found the back of the net for the eventual game-winner in the 83rd minute. Audrey recalls that moment as a feeling like no other.

History was being written as the three points marked the sixth straight victory for the U-20s. After a defeat to group favorite and last year's champion Mexico, Guyana shifted its focus for the round of 16 against the Cayman Islands. And once again, Audrey played a vital role. 

Leading 1-0 after the first 45 minutes, she netted an insurance goal (55’) to earn the 2-0 victory and advance the Lady Jags to the quarter-finals. The nation was one step away from reaching the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualification round for the first time in history. 

Sadly, their surge and historic run was ended by Haiti in the next match. However, the excitement and happiness didn’t die out in Guyana but instead created inspiration for young girls to get involved in the game.

The team’s performance and progression also caught the imagination of the Guyanese general public that the recent investment in women’s soccer and the hiring of current Technical Director Ian Greenwood has started to yield tangible rewards. 

Greenwood put it simple in an interview with FIFA.com, “Their success is no accident.”

Audrey’s journey with the Guyana National Team will be an experience she always holds close to her heart.

For Tracy, this whole process has been truly grateful to see his daughter inspire his home country. Each time out, her passion grows for the Golden Arrowhead, the nickname given to Guyana’s national flag.  

Being part of the grassroots campaign, Audrey has already improved the Guyana soccer pedigree on the national stage, but she isn’t satisfied there. She has dreams of one day making the senior team for Guyana and helping the Lady Jags qualify for the World Cup and Olympics.