THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) completed the draw for the championship round of the prestigious One Guyana President’s Cup during a live press conference at the National Cultural Centre, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown yesterday afternoon.

The 10 regional teams now know the teams they will face in the round-robin group stage, before advancing to the knockout phase of the tournament, to have a chance to become the first One Guyana President’s Cup champions on January 1, 2023.

The teams were first seeded and then placed into two groups of five at the end of the draw conducted by the GFF.

The tournament focuses on expanding the reach of football across Guyana and increasing the player population, while at the same time creating opportunities to scout new talent within communities that were traditionally off the formal football grid.

“To have so many young talents take centre stage during the prestigious FIFA 2022 World Cup Season is without a doubt a great source of pride for my administration.

Therefore, on behalf of the entire football fraternity of Guyana, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Ali and his Government for their investment in the development of football,” shared GFF president Wayne Forde.

The first leg of the tournament kicked off on November 13 and only the top players from each administrative region advanced to the December championship round.

“We are happy to see that the players and coaches have committed themselves to this tournament. We are taking notice of the emerging talent on display and our national team players’ pool will be extremely competitive and full of talent. We now await the decisions of the individual regional scouting teams and look forward to how they manage the selection process, inclusive of the minimum requirements of six U20 players.

“There is now a real pathway into the SMNT and we are excited. Over 3 000 players have auditioned thus far and now we are full of anticipation of what the Regional Playoffs will reveal,” explained GFF Technical Director (ag) Bryan Joseph.

The ten qualified teams will battle in front of crowds at grounds across Guyana, including the National Track & Field Centre, GFC, Number 5, Albion and Bartica.

“The K&S Organisation is pleased to collaborate once again with the GFF in staging this prestigious tournament. We believe that our extensive, event-management expertise complements very well the disciplined, professional and structured approach president Forde has instituted in the management of football from the inception of his tenure,” K&S co-Founder Kashif Muhammad stated, adding:

“We are here to play our role in ensuring the success of the inaugural One Guyana President’s Cup.”

One Guyana President’s Cup Group A and B Selections: