Acting president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Franklin Wilson said yesterday that 2011 was a challenging year for the GFF but that the country’s footballers had exceeded all expectations on the field of play.
“The year 2011 has been a very exciting and challenging one for the Football Fraternity both on and off the field of play,” Wilson stated in his New Year’s message.
“We have seen our ‘Golden Jaguars’ create history by qualifying for the Third Stage of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 Qualifying Competition; our Under-17 Lady Jags advanced to stage two of the CONCACAF Qualifying Competition and our Under-20 Lady Jags will be competing in the CONCACAF Qualifying Competition in Cuba early in January.”
Wilson described the past year which saw two members of the GFF banned for varying amounts of time by the World governing body for football FIFA as challenging.
“There were many football challenges at the administrative level locally, regionally and internationally; challenges from which we all must learn as we collectively seek to professionalize this sport we love,” he declared.
“Undoubtedly, we have exceeded all expectations in terms of our on field performances and that now has to be matched with our collective performances off the field of play,” Wilson added.
Wilson said he expected 2012 to bring more challenges which the GFF will have to be prepared “to confront and ultimately overcome.”
“Those situations which have bogged us down in the past year must be eliminated as we strive to move forward, all of us in the same direction with the same goals,” he stated.
Wilson said that the GFF extended its sincerest gratitude to the players, coaches, team managers, football administrators, supporters, Corporate Guyana and the Government ….”for your dedicated commitment and support for football in 2011 and we look forward to even greater levels of commitment and unity in 2012 as we continue our surge to achieve even greater heights in this great sport at the local, regional, hemispheric, and world levels.
“The president, executives and members of the Guyana Football Federation would like to take this opportunity to wish the nation a blessed, peaceful and productive 2012.
“It is the wish of the GFF that as a nation we strive to collaborate and work together to achieve all that is best for our nation.”
