PRESIDENT of the Alpha United Football Club, Odinga Lumumba, lashed out at the treatment of his club members while contesting the Caribbean Football Union’s club championship in Jamaica.

The team returned Thursday evening and Lumumba thought it wise to hold a press briefing on the team’s performance and the treatment they received during the four-day stay in the CARICOM island.
Guyana came out on top of the qualifier round having defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s club champions Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force 2-0, through one goal each from Andrew Murray and guest player Kiston Bain of Grenada, while in their second game, the local club champions beat Jamaica’s top club Harbour View 1-0 through a goal off the boot of Bain.
They were supposed to face a team from Suriname but that team failed to make an appearance for reasons unknown.
According to Lumumba, while in Jamaica the team encountered several problems with regard to their diet and alternative arrangements had to be made so that the players could be more comfortable and relaxed.
According to the club’s vice-president Steve Ninvalle who accompanied the team to Jamaica, they left Guyana on March 18 and played Trinidad and Tobago on March 21 then on March 23 they defeated Harbour View of Jamaica.
They will next play Haiti’s top club Valencia on April 18 and should they come out victorious, they will automatically qualify for the final making Alpha United the first Guyanese club to meet a CONCACAF final play-off.
Ninvalle explained that if Alpha United lose against Valencia, they would have to face Water House of Jamaica and another team whose name he could not remember at the time yesterday to qualify for the final round.
Lumumba, in addressing members of the media yesterday at the Waterchris Hotel, said Alpha United were in a situation where they were in a foreign country and the host country wanted their teams to win at all cost so they tried to gain a psychological advantage by not providing adequate and well prepared meals for the visitors.
According to Lumumba, Alpha United’s players as well as those from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force teams were given one slice of bread each every morning of their stay cheese was non-existent and we had to quarrel to get sausage.” Lubumba stated adding, “I had to make other arrangements for my players to get a proper breakfast and lunch.”
Tobago Defence Force used their ties with the Jamaican Defence Force to get proper meals during their stay on the Island.
“It was worse than jail food Lumumba declared,” adding “it was a wicked attempt to win the game off the field and the CFRU should look into it.
Asked if Alpha United have filed a complaint with the CFU, Lumumba answered in the affirmative.
Head coach Wayne `Wiggy’ Dover said it was the worse situation he has ever seen in his coaching career.
Dover said despite the treatment meted out to the team, his aim is to win the championship and become the Caribbean’s number one club team.
He said beating Valencia is of utmost importance since if they win, they will have a better opportunity of being crowned Caribbean champions.
At the national level, Lumumba said if Alpha United win the CONCACAF Club Tournament and the Guyana Football Federation put the right team together, there is no reason why Guyana cannot become the number one team in the Caribbean.

(By Michael DaSilva)