Dear Editor,
Stabroek News’ commendable editorial captioned ‘FIFA’s arrogance’ (August 11) apart from being insightful about the modus operandi of the organization, also exposes the lack of foresight on the part of those tasked with the responsibility of normalizing the state of local football. In all of the press releases relating to the GFF’s submission of a protest to FIFA, over St Vincent fielding an ineligible player in a World Cup qualifying match versus Guyana, there was no indication of whether the GFF’s General Council had been apprised of issue, and whether both CONCACAF and the CFU had been informed of the flagrant violation of the rules.
Editor, despite the fact that the return leg match was a World Cup qualifier, the protest should not have been lodged with FIFA, but rather with CONCACAF. This is the confederation that deals with allegations of bribery and corruption. Did the Normalization Committee deviate from the chain of command (CONCACAF) because it felt recourse to FIFA would have been more prudent? It was a St Lucian sports journalist, Robertson Henry, whom I know personally now residing in St Vincent and the Grenadines, who penned an article pertaining to the competition’s rules being flouted. This should have guided Guyana as to the relevant approach, and not engage FIFA on the travesty. How come the Sports department of your own publication, failed to offer a ‘Sports Scope’ or ‘Our Opinion’ column? Or must one wait with bated breath a column from former Sports Editor, Orin Davidson?
It would be interesting to know if the Golden Jaguars Manager did indicate to the Match Commissioner, that the hosts were playing the match under protest, prior to the examination of the visitors’ travel document, and whether he duly informed the Normalization Committee’s General Secretary of the purported violation. I’m pretty sure that even within a 12 hour time frame the issue could have been resolved, with the relevant emails dispatched hastily. Who failed the Golden Jaguars in terms of the protest?
Yours faithfully,
Lester Sealey
