… Canadian Premier League club seeking to build relationship with GFF, Sports Ministry

VALOUR Football Club, one of the eight teams in the Canadian Premier League (CPL), have extended an invitation for two U-23 players to join the club on their pre-season training for an assessment and evaluation to earn the opportunity to play in this season’s CPL.
In a letter written to Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Wayne Forde, and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, and seen by Chronicle Sport, the club’s head coach Robert Gale said, through Alex Bunbury, he’s delighted to hear things are continuing to develop in Guyana with regard to the ‘beautiful game’.
Only recently, Bunbury, a legend in Canada and who proudly stated he’s Guyanese first, was instrumental in Fruta Conquerors’ 19-year-old forward, Nicholas McArthur, securing a full scholarship to Chicago State University ahead of their NCAA Division One football debut.
Gale, who coached Canada’s National Youth teams from 2011 to 2018, said his club is looking forward to hearing from GFF and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, as they welcome “these young talented Guyana players to our professional club environment. We currently anticipate a mid-April start to pre-season but will stay in contact with Mr Bunbury to finalise all details in line with government;s COVID protocols.”
The Canadian coach is hoping that “this is the first of many engagements our organisations can have and would like to extend our hospitality to your entire organisation for future Coach and Player Development exchanges as you develop your infrastructure.”In 2018, Bunbury, one the most recognisable figures in Canadian football, had made a pitch for Guyanese players to take advantage of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) tryouts.

Bunbury who hails from the village of Plaisance had said that he’s looking forward to “working with the GFF to bring some players (from Guyana) over for tryouts, to give them an opportunity to play in Canada.”
Since the league’s inception, many Caribbean nations, especially players from Trinidad and Tobago, have made the CPL their home.
However, apart from Emery Welshman who played with Forge FC, no other known Guyanese player was able to break into the league. Welshman now plays for Hapoel Ra’anana A.F.C in the Israeli Premier League.
Winners of the CPL championship earn a berth in the CONCACAF League, playing against teams from Central America and the Caribbean.