-Lumumba

Guyana’s football is currently lacking vision and there are no policies in place that would lead to development.Those are the views of Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Secretary Odinga Lumumba, who warned that the administration of football has found itself surrounded by quicksand resulting in stagnation and deterioration of the sport.
“Our football is lacking central and united leadership, it lacks a common front and a common goal and there are no clear objectives and policies that would lead to development,” Lumumba said in an exclusive interview.
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has found itself in unprecedented turmoil after two failed congresses and its president Christopher Matthias has been relentlessly challenged since being elevated to office in April of 2013.
There were two consecutive walkouts of the GFF congress by six affiliated associations and the incumbent has been asked to resign by one of his vice presidents. Prior to that, the Matthias led GFF slapped an eight-year ban on Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) president Sharma Solomon, and five years to his executive members which included then GFF vice president Collie Hercules.
“If there was a leadership in good stead, then there would not have been all these divisions and disagreements.
There is no central leadership in our football. A ship cannot take on a storm without a good captain and we have very stormy weather now,” Lumumba declared.
“In stormy weather you have to rally all your troops, you don’t divide your troops. When you don’t have central command you have to form coalition, you have to bridge the gap and work with people. This goes for both sides. Everybody can’t get everything. In the failure or absence of central leadership all groups have to come together and be willing to compromise,” he added.
He echoed president of the Guyana Football Referees Council Alfred King, who last month acknowledged that the administration of local football is at its lowest.
“I was not comfortable before (Colin) Klass, I was not comfortable during Klass and I am not comfortable now. How could anyone be comfortable with what is going on? We seem to be going nowhere in a great hurry,” the Alpha United president said.
Asked if he has tried to use his influence to bridge the continuously expanding gap in local football, Lumumba noted that this would be difficult, as members place more emphasis on personalities rather than fulfilling the task.
“In order for me, or anyone with my vision to bridge that gap, that person would have to be in charge of football. This cannot be done through somebody. The bull would have to be taken by the horns. I am not sure that the forces in Guyana’s football are willing to rally behind me, or someone with my kind of vision, someone who can provide central leadership.
It is my belief that the present leadership of the GFF lacks the ability to deal with people like me without feeling insecure or afraid.”