Linden, Georgetown vying for ‘Bounce back’ supremacy tonight

Battle of the Titans…

Story and photos by Jemima Holmes

Even after a year that has challenged the sport in the toughest ways imaginable, football enthusiasts will get the opportunity to witness the customary year-end football, as the ‘Bounce back Classic’ final is staged this evening.
Maybe a month or two ago the thought seemed wildly imaginative, that even after the coronavirus pandemic, local football would be played in a conducive and safe environment. But all thanks to the Guyana Football Federation, the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation; and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, that thought is now reality.

A KFC representative presented the sponsorship cheque to Kashif Muhammad in the presence of Sports Minister Charles Ramson Jr, GFF President Wayne Forde and Aubrey “Shanghai” Major

Local competitive football and the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation both made their comeback last Tuesday evening with a night of scintillating action. Four teams: the East Coast All Stars, Linden All Stars, Georgetown All Stars and West Demerara All Stars, locked horns to make the final two.
Now, two teams, the Linden All Stars and the Georgetown All Stars, will return to the National Stadium at Providence this evening (Friday, January 1) for the highly anticipated final showdown.
Judging from Tuesday’s games, the final is expected to be a fast-paced, high-action event with some of the brightest Guyanese football stars being featured.
For Linden, the likes of Pernell Schultz, Jermain Junor and Clive Nobrega will turn out. A close eye should be kept on the likes of Abumuchi Benjamin and Curtez Kellman, who proved to be instrumental in their play construction and goal scoring.
Their goalkeeper, Sese Norville, has proven time and again that he has a safe pair of hands, but he is, nevertheless, likely to be tested by Georgetown’s frontline.
Nicholas McArthur and Dorwin George played at rocket speed for the strikers, but the latter will do well to work on his finishing. Kelsey Benjamin missed a number of chances in the last game, but the youngster isn’t one to miss out two games in a row.
With Job Caesar and Ryan Hackette in the midfield, and Jeremy Garrett and Daniel Wilson on the backline, Georgetown poses a great threat to the Lindeners.
For Georgetown, Alex Murray was impeccable in the box, even saving a sure penalty off the boots of Trayon Bobb. However, if the nature of the tournament is to scout young talent, it would be refreshing to see Joel Yhap being given a chance to flex his skill, even for a few minutes.
What is for sure is that the age-old rivalry between the capital city and the mining town will be resurrected at 6pm sharp when the first whistle is expected to blow.
While no fans will be allowed into the National Stadium, NCN, Enetworks, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Facebook page will be livestreaming the action.
The tournament is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Tiger Rentals, the Trophy Stall, Mohamed’s Enterprises and Ground Structures Engineering Inc.
On Thursday, KFC joined the long list of notable sponsors as they presented a cheque to the organisers.
“Like so many other sectors, the sport fraternity has taken a major hit as a result of the pandemic, and we have all had to shift and adapt in these challenging times.
Football holds a special place in the hearts of Guyanese, and we are proud of the work of, and to partner with, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in yet another great initiative,” the fast-food franchise related.
The winning team would pocket a cash prize of $1M along with bragging rights and the trophy, while the second-place finisher would have to settle for $500,000 and a trophy.