The customary New Year’s Day football will be a clash of two club giants at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, today in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/ KFC Elite League Cup final.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Football Club and Western Tigers Football Club will meet in a rematch of the January 1, 2022 final; that tournament two years ago being the GFF/ Kashif and Shanghai Super 16 final.
As such, coupled with the fact that these two teams finished first and second in the sixth edition of the KFC Elite League this year and played to a nil-all draw in their only meeting in that tournament; one can expect a thrilling final tonight, fit for football’s New Year traditions.
The Elite League Cup final was initially slated to be hosted on December 8, 2023, but given the tragic passing of five Guyana Defence Force Soldiers the day prior and ensuing search-and-rescue efforts, the Federation had taken the decision to postpone the contest.
Flashback! Scenes from the Elite League Cup semi-finals
Now, according to GFF Competitions Director Troy Peters, all systems are in place for today’s third-place play-off and final.
“Well, we’re ready. All four teams are fully prepared and ready for action on Monday. So, we have the Guyana Defence Force coming up against Western Tigers and those are the top teams from Elite League 5, so that is expected to be a scorcher,” Peters declared with a smile.
“And as you know, Police and Buxton United, they’re also expected to give a good show in the third-place play-off.”
Speaking on preparations, Peters viewed tonight’s games as a warm-up for what’s to come in the Elite League this year.
The Competitions Director explained, “What is more important, is that this is preparation for the Elite League season six that we hope to start as early as February month. So, it’s early preparation. We know that the teams would’ve had that setback because of the recent tragedy, but we notified the teams and they resumed training. So, we expect all the teams to be fully prepared.”
GFF Competitions Director Troy Peters
As such, he went on to divulge more on what to expect at tonight’s games, stating, “Well, as we have seen, even in the promotional play-off, the standard is extremely high. So, we know what Western Tigers, what the Guyana Defence Force, could bring. All the teams are fully fit, Police is always a running team; Buxton United, they can stop any team at any time. So, we expect the competition to be very high.”
Meanwhile, GFF President Wayne Forde also envisioned an exciting conclusion today.
“We are looking forward to a memorable conclusion to this exhilarating tournament, which has showcased some of the finest talents in Guyana,” Forde related.
The GFF boss further stated, ““Thank you to the sponsors, players, coaches and fans for their cooperation and understanding following the December postponement prompted by the tragic crash involving members of the finalist Guyana Defence Force.”
In the semi-final round, GDF came back from a 2-2 score at half time against the Guyana Police Force FC, to defeat their fellow servicemen 7-2. Western Tigers advanced from a slim 1-0 advantage at halftime, to defeat Buxton United 6-0.
As such, the Guyana Defence Force maintained an undefeated streak with six wins, after accumulating a total of 15 points (from 5 wins) in Group A. Meanwhile, Western Tigers claimed the Group B pinnacle, amassing 12 points through four victories and a single loss. Other teams in Group A were Santos, Fruta Conquerors and Milerock, while Group B also featured Den Amstel, Victoria Kings, and Ann’s Grove.
The top two teams will be vying for a grand prize of $1.5 million, with second place having to settle for $1 million. Third place will receive $500,000, while fourth place will pocket $250,000.
The third-place playoff will kick off at 18:00h, while the grand finale in the Elite League Cup is set for 20:00h.
