NO ONE ever understands what the lack of domestic football means for a club, especially when they have to compete against those who have been consistently competitive in leagues and other formats of the game. Alpha United, however, despite the lack of competition, continuously, have always been able to set the benchmark in local football.

Being the only team from Guyana to ever play at the CONCACAF Champions League must be an accomplishment every team must strive to emulate when they carefully examine the circumstances in which they were able to excel.
After clinching their fifth Guyana Football Federation (GFF) league title, doing so consecutively since 2009, (except 2011 when there was no league), Alpha United only played twice – winning the Banks Beer Cup for the second time and losing in the final of the Kashif and Shanghai Tournament final on Easter Sunday (April 5).
“We have to look forward to what is ahead locally,” said the team’s head coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover, speaking to Chronicle Sport after their 3-1 loss to Central FC in the CFU Club Championship.
The loss meant that Alpha United, who had finished in a good enough position to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League last year, were booted from the tournament.
Dover cites the lack of competition as a major contributing factor for his side’s demise, noting “unfortunately, we’ve been suffering where football is concerned in Guyana; you play a couple of tournaments and then wait for a long time for another and it’s hard to represent well at this level but we’ve been successful nonetheless”
The former national player pointed out, “These teams coming off a full season, almost winding down as well and it will always be difficult coming up against them.”
Alpha United – the Hammer as they are popularly called – have just competed in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship, drawing in Group One against Inter Moengotapoe, a team they had played five times before and Central FC, debutants at the regional showpiece.
While Inter Moengotapoe had only recently wrapped up winning another League title in Suriname, Central FC, sitting on top of the TT ProLeague, are poised to win their first League title when the Twin Island Republic’s Professional football season concludes on Saturday, May 2.
Alpha United were able, for the first time, to defeat Inter Moengotapoe, winning by a 3-0 scoreline and when Central FC defeated the Surinamese side 2-0, a final of some sort was set between the Guyanese and the Trinidadian club.
A draw was all Alpha United wanted while for Central FC, being behind the ‘Hammers’ on goal difference, had to get a win.
Both sides featured some of the best players money can buy in their respective countries while Alpha United also searched Jamaica and Panama for additions.
However, when the final whistle was blown at the Guyana National Stadium last Sunday, it was the ‘Trinis’ who celebrated, having won 3-1 while dejection and disappointment showed on the faces of Alpha United players, staff and even supporters.
“We need to have a serious introspection of things to see how we move forward because in world football, you will require certain things from your players in order to move forward and get the results needed, and if they can’t produce at a certain level, it makes no sense for us being in these tournaments,” explained Dover after the game.

By Rawle Toney