THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) announced yesterday, in collaboration with European football’s governing body UEFA, to develop a 100-day action plan as part of its ‘bounce-back’ programme to pave the way for the resumption of football competitions and development.

Under UEFA’s second bounce-back partnership in the CONCACAF region, European football administration and development experts are collaborating closely with the GFF team to prepare and execute its post-pandemic football recovery strategy, covering areas such as planning, communications, finance, fan engagement, remote working and crisis planning, the Federation said in a release.

“In this crucial period of transition, we are committed to focussing all of our time and efforts on ensuring that football hits the ground running as soon as the authorities give us the green light,” said GFF president Wayne Forde.
According to Forde, “through the UEFA Bounce-back programme, we are receiving expert support to fine-tune our action plan and to equip our entire team with the tools it needs to continue to deliver on our strategic goal to transform football in Guyana.”

“The programme also underlines the significant progress we have made in building strong and productive relationships with our global partners as part of the Executive Committee’s long-term pledge to restore and enhance the GFF’s international image and to leave a strong legacy and foundation for future generations,” the GFF president stated.

The programme, the GFF said, will see UEFA experts connect with their departments and staff via a series of video conference workshops over five weeks, focussing on a thorough situational analysis, building unity and togetherness within the football community, action planning for the future and preparation for the delivery of the Federation’s 100-day ‘Bounce-back’ plan.
At the conclusion of the programme, the UEFA experts will continue to provide mentoring support to GFF Heads of Department and staff on a needs basis.

The partnership, the Federation says, represents a further deepening of ties between the two organisations under the UEFA Assist programme, which provides support in capacity-building, youth football development and infrastructure projects while nurturing cooperation between UEFA member associations and national governing bodies around the world.

In February, GFF received two minibuses to bolster its youth development programmes by improving access to, and reducing the costs associated with the running of, its national network of GFF Academy Training Centres.

In 2019, also as part of UEFA Assist, GFF and the Denmark Football Association signed a historic six-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focussed on providing technical and operational assistance ahead of the CONCACAF region’s hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We would like to thank our European friends and partners for their ongoing support and we look forward to making further landmark announcements related to the UEFA Assist programme in the very near future,” Forde said.