A 57TH minute beauty from eventual tournament MVP, Benjamin Opara, was all it took for Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to claim the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super 16 title, when the curtain came down on the annual year-end football tournament on New Year’s Day.

Played in front of an almost-packed Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, the clash between the Army and Fruta Conquerors lived up to all the pre-game hype and excitement the two sides promised.

Coached by Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson the Camp Ayanganna-based side dazzled the crowd with their first touch, unselfishness and how much they were able to keep the star-studded Fruta Conquerors at bay for 90+ minutes and were able to come out on top with a 1-0 scoreline.

“That goal is something we’ve been practising all the time. The night before, right at that same ground, we spent about two hours running those plays and if nothing else, I was happy that the players did exactly as we practised and executed when the opportunity came along,” Wilson told Chronicle Sport in an exclusive interview as he reflected on GDF’s win.

The goal, scored by Opara, was something out of a coach’s text book – GDF’s run started in the midfield, flat and accurate passes as if the players were being controlled by one of the world’s top ‘FIFA 20’ on PlayStation 4. So sweet was the play, that even the Fruta Conquerors supporters couldn’t resist applauding.

Fruta Conquerors created a few chances of their own, but, resolute defending and good goalkeeping ensured that the Army went on to claim the tournament’s $2M winners’ purse.

Wilson told Chronicle Sport that the win on Wednesday over Fruta Conquerors is “a win for the sport in Guyana, it’s for the development of the game and for all the coaches and people/players who struggle in this sport in Guyana.

“It’s for the Army, the organisation and the team. This job is never easy and I hope they (the Army) use it as a turning point in showing that we can achieve things once we commit to working hard and staying disciplined.”

Meanwhile, Orin Yarde netted a hat-trick to help Santos secure a 3-2 win over Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a game that had fans on the edge of their seats and had to be decided in extra time. Trayon Bobb and William Europe were the scorers for Police.