GFF Youth Ensemble Programme U13 League officially kicks off across the regional associations

May 19, 2026 Sports

Kaieteur Sports – The Buxton Community Ground came alive on Saturday, christening the official kick-off of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Youth Ensemble Programme as the U13 League, under the auspices of governing body FIFA, got underway. The games were hosted by the East Demerara Football Association (ECDFA) as part of a nationwide series of regional competitions scheduled to be played over the coming months.

GFF Youth Ensemble Programme U13 League officially kicks off across the regional associations

One of the teams in the march past during the official opening programme. (GFF)

The programme, designed to strengthen youth football development across Guyana, saw clubs from communities throughout East Demerara turning out in large numbers to compete against friends and rivals in an atmosphere of excitement and community spirit.

Present at the opening was President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, who described the launch as “a good day for football on the East Coast.”

“It’s always good to see some of the members stepping forward and embracing the initiatives being organised by the GFF,” Forde stated.

Forde also extended best wishes to the participating teams and commended the efforts of President of the East Demerara Football Association, Rickford Profitt, and his dedicated team for their continued work in organising football on the East Coast, particularly through the implementation of the Youth Ensemble Programme.

Part of the action during opening day as the youngsters delivered. (GFF)

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Profitt underscored the importance of the initiative for youth development within the East Demerara community.

“We believe this programme will play a very important role in the lives of these young boys. We are confident this programme will produce more players like Omari Glasgow. This has been one of the best things to happen to the East Demerara Football Association in a long time, and with the collaboration of the Guyana Football Federation, this U13 competition will play a vital role in developing great footballers for the future, both for the East Coast and Guyana,” Profitt stated.

Within the East Demerara Football Association competition, Plaisance faced Golden Stars, BV Triumph took on Victoria Kings, Buxton Stars battled Ann’s Grove United, Melanie went up against Mahaica Determinators, while Haslington Stars faced Mahaicony Western Lions.

Regional Associations also participating in the opening phase of the programme included the East Bank Football Association, West Bank Football Association and Upper Demerara Football Association.

East Bank Football Association saw Herstelling Raiders FC faceoff Circuit Ville Jaguars FC, and Kuru Kururu FC go against Timehri United FC. Meanwhile, the West Demerara Football Association saw Wales FC battle Eagles FC and Belle West FC face off against Pouderoyen FC. Uitvlugt FC went against Den Amstel FC. The Upper Demerara Football Association saw Dainty Academy Vs YMCA and Netrockers FC vs Fearless FC.

U13 matches will be played on Saturdays in a 9 v 9 cross-field format, while U15 matches will be contested on Sundays in the standard format. Competitions will utilise a combination of round-robin and knockout formats, culminating in a National Playoff stage featuring 20 clubs divided into four groups before advancing to the semi-finals and national finals.

Led by the Guyana Football Federation in collaboration with FIFA, the transformational Youth Ensemble Programme represents an annual investment of G$44 million and is expected to engage approximately 130 clubs while impacting more than 3,000 young players nationwide through structured U13, U15 and U17 competitions.

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East Demerara Football Association, FIFA, GFF, Youth Ensemble Programme

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