Guyana wins, when Football winsGFF boss Wayne Forde raps media on historic Concacaf Gold Cup qualification

Mar 31, 2019 Sports

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On March 23rd last, Guyana inked its name in the annals of history at the Concacaf level when for the first time, the national team qualified for the Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s the 15th edition of the highest level in this confederation and would be the first time that 16 nations would be battling for top honours from June 15th to July 7th, next.
As the man who presided over this wonderful achievement, Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde raps the media on this champagne moment.
Q: President Forde, the Guyana Golden Jaguars have qualified for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time in the GFF 117 years of existence, what does this mean for (a) You as President, (b) Football Development and (c) the Nation?
A: First and foremost, this is an achievement that belongs to the entire nation, and specifically to our football fraternity. Guyana has been waiting a long time for this moment. We all shared in that incredible emotion last week. It was magical and an experience that anyone who has played a part in football in Guyana will never forget.
I want to dedicate that moment to everyone in Guyana who loves football: anyone who has ever coached a team, anyone who has ever played the game, anyone who has ever managed a club, any organisation, company or person that has sponsored or supported football, and anyone who has ever contributed at administrative level.
You know who you are. This is our collective victory. It could not have been achieved without you. So many great football servants have gone before us and we stand on the shoulders of those giants. Of course, it is truly a very humbling experience for me to be able to be at the helm of the sport at this time and to share this extraordinary accomplishment with the other dedicated members of the GFF Executive Committee, who contribute in equal measure to the intense work and many sacrifices this qualification campaign demanded of us all.
I feel a deep sense of pride for the sport, in particular, which has had its challenges both on and off the field for many decades and, for me, a sense of personal accomplishment. In terms of how this will benefit football development –this success is the result of a carefully crafted strategy that, if we are being honest, did not quite go as planned in the early stages of the Nations League qualifying but, by the grace of God and the hard work of our staff and players, we achieved the intended result.
I don’t think it is possible to underestimate the benefits for football. The national team will now earn income through an aggressive commercialisation of the programme which will include television rights, sponsorship and kit deals, etc.
The GFF will now redirect the funds that were going toward the team to our local development programmes. These funds will now go towards male and female junior and senior football throughout our Regional Member Associations (RMA).
Scouts and colleges will now shift their attention to Guyana, which will result in greater opportunities for our players. The GFF Secretariat will continue to improve its capacity to manage at the level required for the Gold Cup – this is not going to be easy but we are making progress and, in the end, we will become a professional organisation.
Local clubs are excited and inspired and will have to get serious about how they develop their players alongside, and in tandem with, our national programmes. The GFF stands ready to support that process at all levels. We will see more young players inspired to play football, more companies in Guyana supporting our sport… In terms of benefits, I can keep going on and on…!
As it relates to how Guyana will benefit – I will say this unequivocally, the sum of all tourism promotion and advertising cannot surpass the global visibility that the Concacaf Gold Cup will bring to Guyana. When our boys walk out on to the pitch for their first game, the millions of people that will be watching either live or on television around the world – will Google “Guyana”!
What an incredible opportunity I would like to call on all our stakeholders from politics to business to appreciate the magnitude of this opportunity and to work with us to embrace its potential. What action those fans around the world take after that Google search will be vastly influenced by what pops up, so let’s give them good content and a good impression of our nation – it’s beautiful landscape and wildlife, its investment opportunities, its people, its sporting talent, and its culture.
Let’s show our country in the best possible light. Beyond that, each international game we play in Guyana injects almost three hundred thousand US dollars into the local economy. Now that we are a Gold Cup team, we will be playing at home as often as possible.
Q: You have given Guyana its first Astro Pitch, Acquired land for a football complex at Durban Park, The Country’s first National youth development Academy Training Centre programme, its first Regional Boys U15 Championship, the highest number of qualified Coaches and now its first Gold Cup, all in three years – Do you think about the legacy you wish to leave?
One must remain conscious at all times of work done while, at the same time, harnessing the resolve and remaining focused on the work that lay ahead. It is true that we have achieved success in many key areas but there is still a tremendous amount of work required in order to lay a robust and lasting foundation for the sustainable development of the sport.
We are finally moving in the right direction, but we need everyone on board as one team to achieve lasting success. There remains many fundamental challenges to the implementation of our reform agenda which requires time, consistency and the belief of our members and an acknowledgement of the critical role they must play to grow and professionalise the sport.
The GFF cannot overhaul football without the help of corporate Guyana, the Government of Guyana and other key stakeholders. A well-run sport will produce well rounded men and women – Guyana wins when football wins.

 

 

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