In response to a string of damning claims against the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), President Wayne Forde has come out in defence of his administration’s handling of the senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars.
Just one week after the Golden Jaguars ended their nightmare run in their inaugural CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) League A campaign with a 3-1 loss at home to Martinique and a 5-1 thrashing by hosts Suriname, a series of allegations were made against the GFF, published in another daily paper.
Reporting information provided by a ‘source’ within the Federation, the complaints encompassed payment issues, travel arrangements and the overall mis-handling of the team, in a correspondence signed by members of the Golden Jaguars unit.
Now, GFF boss Forde, in an invited comment on Monday, admitted to the existence of the correspondence and the Federation’s intention to respond, but provided some contradicting facts.
“First of all, just like you, we’ve seen those reports in a particular section of the media and I think the report quoted a source close to the programme and as far as I’m aware we have no official information other than a correspondence between the players and the Federation, highlighting a couple of concerns that is being reviewed by the GFF,” Forde divulged.
Controversy has stemmed from the Golden Jaguars’ recent League A campaign, which saw three losses and a draw
“I don’t comment on information that a player or someone close to the programme may wish to share, but I don’t ever engage in those things. We will respond to those concerns in due course.”
The GFF President went on to reveal his contradicting facts, stating, “Let me start with what are facts. We’ve played six games so far in the Nations League in three separate fixtures. The first fixture cost the GFF about $35 million. I think the second fixture was $36 million, third fixture just over $30 million. So in all, we have spent about a $100 million on six games so, let’s be clear about the investment.”
“On the first fixture, the players were paid four days late but they received before they even travelled, I believe between 20 and 30 per cent advance on their earnings. The second fixtures they were paid four days late and the last October fixtures, they were paid well within the agreed time,” Forde admitted.
Forde went on to counter the payment allegations by revealing the increased pay structure, which in his eyes is a vast improvement compared to years prior.
“I would also say to you that one of the things sources don’t necessarily put out is the fact that we have increased the compensation for the players by 40% for the Nations League and I believe close to 90% for the World Cup Qualifiers. I believe starters are earning as much as $380 [USD] for a World Cup qualifier game and for the Nations League it’s somewhere within the vicinity of $260 to $280 [USD]. So, I would say to you that our players are well compensated and well-treated,” Forde opined.
“I believe if one was to reflect on where the national programme was a few years ago to where it is now, there would be no comparison, it’s almost night and day.”
While the GFF President was quick to admit that the fallout stems from an emotional response to the team’s recent performance, he was quick to remind that it is not supposed to be a player’s entire livelihood.
The GFF President reasoned, “It is human nature that when things don’t go well, people find something to blame or someone to blame and we are a mature organisation and we understand that. Emotions are at its edge; the team obviously did not perform the way we were hoping they would perform in League A. These things will have an emotional toll on the entire programme and the Federation.”
“Ideally, we would like to have all of our domestic players on yearly contracts where they can make a decent earning from the programme, but the national team programme is not a programme that will give any player livelihood. You cannot plan your life on the national team, the team will only play so many times a year. What the national team does, it gives you exposure,” Forde reminded.
Additionally, addressing rumours that the Golden Jaguars have not been showing up to training, Forde expressed his confidence that they will ahead of their upcoming CONCACAF play-in fixtures in November.
