… GFF to focus on hinterland develop with team selection

THE Guyana U-17 female national football squad will open their account in the qualifiers for the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship today against Anguilla in Florida.

Guyana will face Honduras on October 30 and Turks and Caicos Islands on November 1 in Group C of the qualification rounds.
The 18-strong squad for the qualifying tournament includes 16 Guyana-based players from across the nation, including five players from the Orealla community in Region Six, five from Georgetown and four from Region Seven.

Region One is also represented in a squad boasting a significant proportion of talent from hinterland communities.
“It’s exciting for both coaches and players to be able to once again take the pitch to do what we love after being faced with the pandemic, and it’s an honour to be a part of the progress being made in the women’s game,” said head coach Akilah Castello.

“Preparations have been going well,” Castello said. “I can admit that it was a challenge putting together this team to participate in this CONCACAF U-17 girls’ competition, but we are happy to be able to participate and it’s always a pleasure to represent our country.”

The CONCACAF qualifying tournament has been rescheduled and reconfigured on numerous occasions this year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving 10 teams to compete for four places in the final championship.

The selection possibilities available to the coaching staff in Guyana have been limited by injury or illness and a lack of domestic competition over the past 18 months due to the pandemic.

The winners of the three groups will progress to the finals, along with the best-ranked second-place finishers.