Final eight in holiday showdown tonight
‘WIN OR GO HOME’ will be the motto of the final eight clubs left to battle for the inaugural championship of the 2011 Georgetown Football Association (GFA)-organised Banks DIH/ Banks Beer Soccer Festival. Sixteen clubs participated in the tournament which got under way two weeks ago and saw some intense football at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.
With over G$6M in cash and prizes the GFA was able to execute a tournament to cushion the effects of the present football saga in Guyana, while looking to engage their affiliates during the same period of the traditional Kashif and Shanghai tournament.
Beverage giant Banks DIH Ltd, McNeal Enterprises and Courtney Benn Construction Services Limited among other businesses are the sponsors of this tournament.
Tonight at the GFC ground the first four clubs will seek to enter the final four in a daring battle from 18:00hrs when the new-look and youthful GFC lineup meet the Campbellville Sunburst Camptown.
This matchup will be interesting, since GFC, who have over the years not given a proper account of themselves, showed 100% improvement in 2011, more so in this tournament, reaching the last eight with some fine style of football.
Sunburst Camptown with a ton of experienced players will not be taken lightly since the driving forces in their lineup have been having quality minutes during this tournament.
With the aid of Terrence ‘Old Head’ Lewis, Chad Fernandes, Teshawn Blackman, Cardel Tudor, Anson Lynch and Jermaine Yokum, the Bourda Blues are expected to create an upset against the makings of Troy ‘Buggsy’ Prescod, Reshown Sandiford, Jahal Greaves, Jamal Codrington and Orlando ‘Craka’ Gilgeous who will all be responsible for the Camptown attack.
The supporting game will bring Christmas greetings to the winners and escort them closer to the big prize, when Alpha United, Guyana’s top football club face Mocha’s village heroes Riddim Squad FC from 20:00hrs.
Alpha United, who have inflicted the largest margin of victory in this tournament against Charlestown, should face a stern test against their challengers who are a stern and focused group and therefore Alpha need to maintain their focus and deliver at all cost.
Howard Lowe, Abassi McPherson, Kevin McKenzie, Dwight Peters, Dwayne Jacobs and Andrew Murray Jr will be the key stakeholders of Alpha’s continuation in this tournament.
Riddim Squad, who have played exciting football defeating University of Guyana, will strongly depend on the three pillars of their lineup in the Stewart, Hope and Ramsay clan who will all be in their starting eleven.
The tournament continues tomorrow at the same venue, with Beacon taking on Black Pearl  in the curtain-raiser while Fruta Conquerors face Santos in the feature match, culminating what should be a good evening of football.
Beacon, with the likes of Phillip Rowley, Paul Giles, Jerome Richardson, Orville Millington and Dexter Rutherford in their lineup, will be the key holders for their attack over Black Pearl who qualified for the last eight following the Guyana Defence Force’s withdrawal.
Dirkan and Mark Hutson, Mark Carter and Jason Clarke will set up the tactical attack for Black Pearl against Beacon.
Fruta Conquerors with Trevon Lythcoth, Eon Alleyne, Pernel Schultz, Jomo Hinds, Jermaine Junior and Kwame La Fleur in their lineup, will be looking to explode over Santos in tomorrow’s feature matchup.
But with all said, experience and youth will be the cry as Santos will be led in attack through the likes of Gerald Whittington, William Europe, Glenorvan Edmonson, Mark Glasgow and Michael Pedro.
However, Santos will have to make changes in defence following the expulsion of central defender Jermaine Fraser who was red-carded in the last game.
At stake is G$3M for the winners and a trophy while the runners-up will get G$1.5M and third- and fourth-placed finishers $750 000 and $250 000 respectively, while individual prizes will also be given to the respective awardees.