THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) can now breathe a sigh of relief after successfully clearing the hurdle which kept on-field interaction grounded since the COVID-19 outbreak. Recently, president of GFF, Wayne Forde, disclosed that the Federation received approval from the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) and training will commence in early January.

Just a few weeks ago, the optimistic governing body was trying to evade the inevitable choice that was brewing.
Had they not received approval, GFF would have had no other choice but to completely fill the Senior Men’s National Squad with a pool of overseas-based players to attend any upcoming international event. This is because, unlike the local player contingent, the overseas players have already moved past resumption of regular training activities and have entered the competition phase.

In the early stages of November, the Federation requested approval to resume light training locally in the hopes of having a well-balanced team selection, but the thorough NCTF made sure every aspect was assessed before granting permission. That waiting period took close to two months.
When Chronicle Sport last spoke with Forde, he stated that Guyana’s preparation is already frighteningly behind, as every day that goes by, their chances of performing well is affected.

He also mentioned, what is of greater concern is to not give the local players an opportunity to showcase their talent and probably secure international contracts, given the visibility the FIFA 2022 World Cup will receive and also the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is scheduled for July.
According to Forde, GFF still has quite a few logistical aspects to rectify but he is very grateful for the opportunity given by the NCTF.