Football fraternity mourns passing of Guyanese FIFA referee

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has joined the local sporting fraternity in mourning the passing of former FIFA referee and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Warrant Officer Class Two, Maurees Skeete, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
Maurees was widely regarded as one of Guyana’s finest female referees. She earned her FIFA badge in 2014 and went on to officiate in Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) competitions, serving with distinction both locally and internationally.

Her excellence was recognised through multiple GFF Referee of the Year awards, and in 2015 she was notably the only female official from the Caribbean nominated for the CONCACAF Female Referee of the Year award.
Beyond the field of play, Maurees proudly served her country in uniform as a member of the GDF. Her discipline, strength, and quiet resilience were hallmarks of her character.
In October of last year, the GDF honoured her courageous fight against breast cancer, celebrating her as a symbol of perseverance and bravery.
Long before her refereeing career, Maurees was a gifted athlete, representing Guyana in rugby and competing in national basketball. Whether officiating with a whistle, competing in a jersey, or serving in uniform, she carried herself with purpose and dignity, inspiring young women across Guyana to dream beyond limits.
“Today, we honour a referee, a soldier, an athlete, and a trailblazer. More importantly, we honour a woman who served her country with integrity and left a legacy that will outlive her time on the pitch,” the GFF stated.
The GFF extends its deepest condolences to her family, friends, colleagues in the Guyana Defence Force, the referee fraternity, and all who were touched by her life.
Meanwhile, the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation expressed sadness at the passing of one of the most accomplished female referees Guyana has produced, who followed in the footsteps of Diane Ferreira-James and Kim Babb.
“We are extremely saddened at the passing of one of our top female officials, who blazed the trail with passion, discipline and commitment during her time. We recall her performing professionally at many of our year-end Kashif and Shanghai tournaments around Guyana and she was always a pleasant and quiet individual whose understanding and execution of the game during matches were always on point.”
The Kashif & Shanghai Organisation would like to join the football fraternity in expressing sincere condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the late Maurees Skeete. May her soul rest in peace.
In addition, Slingerz Football Club extends its heartfelt condolences on the passing of Skeete.
“We recognise Ms Skeete as one of the officials who always carried a balanced and fair whistle whenever she officiated our matches. Football has lost an official who represented the game with distinction, integrity, and impartiality,” the football club stated in a release.
It added that their thoughts and prayers are with Skeet’s family, friends, and the entire football fraternity during this difficult time.