A G$44m grassroots project designed to transform the future of football in Guyana has received high praise from world governing body FIFA.
Amiel Mohammed, FIFA’s Regional Member Association Development Manager, conducted a whirlwind nationwide tour to assess the early stages of the newly launched Youth Ensemble U13 Programme.
The initiative, a joint venture between FIFA and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), aims to solve a long-standing logistical headache by establishing a permanent, structured annual calendar for youth football across the country.
Accompanied by GFF officials, Mohammed began his tour at the Buxton Ground, taking in East Demerara Football Association playoff matches between Melanie FC and Mahaicony Western Lions, as well as Haslington Stars against Plaisance FC.
He then moved on to the National Training Centre (NTC) to watch East Bank Football Association fixtures, including Circuit Ville Jaguars FC versus Timehri United FC, and Herstelling Raiders FC against Kuru Kururu FC.
The tour concluded at the West Ruimveldt Ground, where the Georgetown Football Association hosted a formal youth march-past.
“This is what football development is all about,” Mohammed said. “Being out here on the field, having the landscape and giving the youths the opportunity to play in a structured manner.”
Mohammed added that the project, funded under the FIFA Forward regulations, was born of a shared vision with GFF President Wayne Forde to inject adequate funding into a healthy and enriching grassroots environment.
Establishing sustainable, fully-funded youth leagues has historically been one of the biggest challenges for football associations across the Caribbean and Caribbean-adjacent regions.
GFF President Wayne Forde admitted that the financial burden of running competitive youth structures is often too heavy for nations to carry alone.
“We know the foundation of football is at the grassroots level,” Forde said. “It has been a huge challenge for many countries within our region to establish sustainable, well-structured youth competitions, particularly youth leagues. The investment required to achieve this would not be possible without the support of the governing body.”
Forde noted that the high-level FIFA visit offered vital reassurance regarding the global governing body’s commitment to the GFF’s long-term strategy.
What is the Youth Ensemble Programme?
The transformational project is structured to create a genuine pipeline from community pitches to elite international football, impacting more than 3,000 young players across 130 clubs nationwide.
Over the coming weeks, the tournament will split its age groups across weekends to maximise impact. Under-13 matches are scheduled for Saturdays using a fast-paced 9v9 cross-field format, while the Under-15 divisions will take over on Sundays, playing traditional 11v11 football.
The competition will use a blend of round-robin and knockout formats, culminating in a high-stakes National Playoff stage. That phase will see 20 top clubs divided into four groups, battling it out for a place in the semi-finals and national finals. (Modified GFF Press Release)
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