Government of Guyana is Committed – Minister Ramson

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier

FIFA on Wednesday conducted the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) World Cup Qatar 2020 qualifier draw, and the Guyanese Senior Men’s National Team was drawn in Group F.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) hosted a socially distanced viewing event for the draw with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, GFF president Wayne Forde and other football administrators. Following the event, President Forde said Guyana is in a competitive group, but “we’re up to the task”.
In calling for corporate and governmental support, he added that football can serve to unify this country. “We know this will not be an easy campaign, but we’re up to this task. We have a few weeks. If the October window remains open, we have a few weeks to prepare. We’re trusting that the COVID-19 situation can be brought under control, and we can get our national team back into training.

“We take this opportunity to ask our stakeholders: Corporate Guyana, Government of Guyana…once we complete our preparation plan, to come on board and give us all the support that they can, to make all of Guyana proud and to give football the opportunity to bring this beautiful nation together at this opportune time,” Forde said.
“We want to be able to promote football in Guyana as part of the Government’s programme, working in a collaborative way,” replied Minister Ramson while pledging the Government of Guyana’s support. “Sport is important to the President of Guyana, sport is important to me, and we don’t only want to say it, we want to show it; and that’s why I wanted to make the time to be here with you when Guyana is being drawn and to know where it’s going to play”.
Guyana will play its first and second match in the CONCACAF Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 respectively away to Trinidad and Tobago on October 8, and at home to Bahamas on October 13, as it begins its campaign.
“You can expect hearing from me just as much as I expect to hear from you; and inasmuch as we can do, you can expect that as well,” the Minister declared.
“There’s a lot of things we’re facing at the moment, but we are willing to explore innovative ways for partnership. We will work in a collaborative way, once the objective is to showcase Guyanese talent and develop Guyanese talent,” the Minister added.
Guyana’s final preliminary matches will be in the November FIFA window in St. Kitts and Nevis on November 13, and at home against Puerto Rico on November 17.