Guyana’s top academy players face Trinidad and Tobago in GFF's first Youth Academy Cup in July

Guyana’s top academy players face Trinidad and Tobago in GFF’s first Youth Academy Cup in July

Jul 13, 2024 Sports

GFF Inaugural Academy Youth Academy Cup

Kaieteur Sports – The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is set to launch its first-ever Youth Academy Cup on July 16, which will feature the nation’s top Under16 boys facing off against two youth academies from Trinidad and Tobago.

Guyana will field two teams – Guyana Jaguar and Panther – with players selected from the Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme and the Under-16 National Team to compete against Point Fortin Youth Football Academy and Tinto’s Sporting Academy.

Matches will be held at the Federation’s National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara until July 21.

GFF Technical Director Bryan Joseph said the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has endorsed the participation of the TT youth Academies, with teams expected to arrive in Guyana on July 15th.

“Over the past few years, we have struggled to have our youth players play international games within these shores. We have always travelled abroad to play the CONCACAF and CFU youth tournaments. As a consequence, we really have not afforded our local fans the opportunity to see our next generation of players. This inaugural tournament offers that opportunity.

We want to make this a successful tournament so we can build to accommodate more international teams from the region. We will also look to possibly expand into other age groups,” Joseph stated.

A total of eight games are scheduled, promising fans an intense and competitive tournament spanning six days.

The competition format will be played in a Round Robin format and conclude on the final day with the top two teams playing for the championship and the others playing for third place. Each team will play four games throughout the competition. A win will be worth three points, a draw earning one point and no points for a loss.

Matches will span eighty minutes in total, divided into two forty-minute halves.

Following the first round, the top two teams will advance to the final, while the third and fourth-placed teams will compete for their respective standings.

The tournament kicks off with Point Fortin Youth Football Academy going up against Tinto’s Sporting Academy at 3:00 p.m., followed by Guyana Jaguar facing Guyana Panther at 5:00 p.m.

On July 17, Point Fortin Youth Football Academy will meet Guyana Panther at 3:00p.m., while Guyana Jaguar takes on Tinto’s Sporting Academy at 5:00 p.m.

Moving to July 19, Guyana Panther will clash with Tinto’s Sporting Academy at 3:00p.m., followed by Point Fortin Youth Football Academy against Guyana Jaguar at 18:005:00 p.m.

On July 21st, the final match day, the third place playoff will be at 16:00 hrs and the

Championship game at 18:00hrs.

GFF President Wayne Forde added that “our boys from the ATC programme have already proven themselves on the national stage. This inaugural cup adds another layer, offering them a valuable opportunity to compete against their counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, who, like our players, aspire to future international success in senior competition.”

“I have every confidence that our two teams will proudly represent their nation on home soil.”

Launched in February 2017, the ATC programme provides a structured pathway for players to progress seamlessly from grassroots to national teams across various age categories.

Tailored to accommodate boys and girls aged five to seventeen, the programme operates through academies within the Federation’s nine member associations.

It has already contributed to the success of junior national teams and national youth tournaments, such as the recently concluded Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary School Championship and the Namilco Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Academy Playoff.

Football enthusiasts are urged to rally behind Guyana during the inaugural Youth Academy Cup.

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Guyana, programme, Tournaments, Trinidad and Tobago, Youth Academy Cup

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