Latest update April 2nd, 2025 8:00 AM
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KFC Goodwill Cup football kicks off this evening
Action in the inaugural KFC Goodwill Cup football which is also sponsored by Ansa Mcal will kick off this afternoon at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue where all four participating schools will be on show.
Guyana’s Annandale Secondary, winners of the recently concluded GUYOIL/Tradewind Tankers Schools Football league along with runners-up Christiansburg Wismar Secondary and hinterland team Annai, will take on Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) Shiva’s Hindu Boys’ College in three days of round-robin action for the KFC Goodwill Cup.
During the official pre-tournament press conference, Petra Co-director, Troy Mendonca, contended that the key reason for his organisation putting together this event is due to the need for further development in the sport.
“We hope that this tournament creates an environment that motivates players and officials to excel,” he said.
He continued by adding that the three-day tournament augurs well for the school’s football programme and measures where we [Guyana] are, in comparison to another Caribbean country and areas that may need improvement.
From left, Ansa McAl’s Errol Nelson, Caribbean Airline’s Dion Innis, Annai’s Captain Orville Daniels, Annandale’s Captain Jerome Harrigan, Petra Co-director Troy Mendonca, Wendy Fernandes of KFC, Petra’s Jacquline Boodie and Ansa McAl’s Fharis Mohamed all pose for a photo at the presser.
Mendonca further posited that the tournament is vital to Petra’s thrust towards developing the sport within the school system, hinting strongly at the possibility of having it on an annual basis with the hope of inviting representatives from other countries.
This, he noted, will not affect the inclusion of hinterland teams which will always have a place in the tournament.
Head of the business affairs unit of Ansa McAl, Errol Nelson, recounted the company’s lengthy history with football in Guyana.
He noted that, “We will continue to be heavily involved for many more years to come. It aligns with the company’s bid of helping to fostering grassroot development and social cohesion.”
Donning two hats, Caribbean Airlines Sales representative and Guyana football federation (GFF) Executive Committee member, Dion Inniss, commended the organisation for hosting such a tournament.
“I often ask why there isn’t a regional school tournament of champions and it’s easy for me to say this but the resources needed for it is a lot,” he said.
Shiva’s Hindu College team that arrived in Guyana last evening ahead of today’s opening play of the KFC Goodwill Cup.
“We [at Caribbean Airlines] stand shoulder to shoulder with the organisers in making future tournaments possible”, he said, recounting that when history is perused, it will be the Petra organisation that shall be remembered for their bold step.
He picked up on Mendonca’s possibility for expansion by recommending Suriname as the next country the tournament could add to its list of competing teams, saying that the eastern neighbour would be ‘game’ to be a part of the series.
Switching to his GFF hat, he said that the organisation is, “Heartened to hear teams from the hinterland can look forward to having a spot in the tournament.”
He said that organisations and also the Federation have to make a special effort to ensure that they [hinterland community teams] are given the resources of any other team in the country.
Wendy Fernandes, Restaurant General Manager of KFC’s Vlissengen Road branch, told the gathering that, “It is an honour to represent KFC. Football is a major sport in Guyana and our future as a footballing nature looks encouraging with the current generation of talented youths.”
Today’s matches feature Annandale playing Wismar Christanburg from 17:00, while Shiva Boys take on Annai from 19:00. Admission is $500.
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