Police FC arrest Slingerz to capture GFF Elite League Cup title

Mar 09, 2026 Sports

---

…Western Tigers stuns GDF 2 – 1 to finish third

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – The Guyana Police Force Football Club produced one of the most significant upsets in recent domestic football when they defeated tournament favourites Slingerz Football Club 2–1 on Sunday evening to capture the Elite League Cup title at the GFF National Training Centre.

For Police FC, the victory represents far more than just another trophy. It is the first time in the club’s history that they have captured a title in a tournament organised by the Guyana Football Federation, bringing a long-awaited end to years of frustration for one of Guyana’s most recognisable football institutions.

Despite consistently being regarded as one of the stronger sides in local football, the lawmen had never managed to secure a truly noteworthy piece of silverware.

Sunday’s victory therefore signalled the end of an underachieving drought that had lingered over the club for years.

Ironically, it came at the expense of the star-studded Slingerz FC, who entered the match as heavy favourites and the reigning Elite League champions.

The defeat also marked another painful final for the ambitious club, which had already fallen 1–0 to Western Tigers Football Club in the GFF Super 16 Cup final on January 1.

The opening half was a tense, tactical affair with both sides probing but failing to find the breakthrough. Slingerz enjoyed spells of possession and created several promising opportunities, but the Police defence remained organised while goalkeeper play on both ends kept the scoreline locked at 0–0 heading into the interval.

The match, however, sprang to life in the second half.

In the 63rd minute, Police finally found the moment they had been waiting for. Midfielder Beveney McGarrell, who would later be named the final’s Most Valuable Player, pounced on a loose opportunity inside the penalty area and fired past Slingerz goalkeeper Sese Norville from point-blank range.

The moment carried an added layer of drama, as McGarrell beat his former teammate to give Police a 1–0 advantage and ignite celebrations among the small but vocal Police supporters in attendance.

Slingerz attempted to respond quickly, pushing numbers forward in search of the equaliser. Instead, their situation worsened in the 76th minute.

A dangerous ball driven across the face of goal forced second-half substitute Romaine Brackenridge into a desperate defensive intervention. Attempting to clear the cross, Brackenridge inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net, doubling Police’s advantage and placing the favourites firmly on the back foot.

With time slipping away, Slingerz launched wave after wave of attacks. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 90th minute when captain Quincy Adams rose to score, cutting the deficit to 2–1 and giving his team a late glimmer of hope.

But the clock proved to be their greatest enemy.

Moments later, referee Shavin Greene blew the final whistle, triggering jubilant celebrations among the Police players and staff as they secured a landmark victory in Guyanese football.

An emotional Police head coach Wayne Dover described the triumph as a moment the club had long been striving to achieve.

“Tonight is so special for us, because we crossed the finish line,” Dover said.

The veteran coach noted that his team entered the match as clear underdogs against a powerful Slingerz squad led by former national coach Jamaal Shabazz.

“The fans always have their team, but their team never play,” Dover remarked candidly. “We have made our preparation, and we know once the players come out and execute the stuff that we worked on in training, we would be victorious.”

On the opposite bench, Shabazz graciously acknowledged the achievement of the Police side while reflecting on his team’s missed opportunities.

“Congrats to Coach Dover and the Police team. For the last couple years, they’ve been in the dungeon. They’ve regrouped and worked hard, so congratulations to them,” Shabazz said.

The Slingerz coach pointed out that the decisive difference in the match was his team’s inability to convert the chances they created.

“Goals win matches,” he added bluntly.

Despite the disappointment, Shabazz indicated that Slingerz will quickly shift their focus to the future. The team is expected to return to training within the next few days as they prepare for the upcoming tournament on the GFF calendar.

For now, however, the spotlight firmly belongs to Police FC, a team that finally transformed years of promise into history, stunning the favourites and lifting a long-awaited trophy.

---

• GFF Elite League Cup, Police FC, Slingerz FC, Western Tigers

---