NAMILCO U17 National playoffs: Berbice, Upper Demerara ‘run things’ after two weeks

The Berbice and Upper Demerara Football Associations Academy Training Centres have emerged as the frontrunners of Groups A and B respectively, after securing two wins in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the National Milling Company (NAMILCO) Thunderbolt Flour Power Under17 Academy Playoffs.
The road to the top for these two teams has produced two weekends of thrilling matches for fans at the GFF National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara since the October 7 start of the league.
On the first day of the tournament, Upper Demerara achieved an impressive 4-1 victory against West Demerara, and the following day, October 8, Berbice celebrated their 4-1 win over Georgetown. The winning streak for Berbice persisted on October 14, when they triumphed with a close 3-2 scoreline against the National Under-15 Team, while Upper Demerara recorded a convincing 3-1 triumph over Rupununi on October 15.
“The new season has commenced with a remarkable display of football skills from our talented young players. Their passion, dedication and commitment to the sport have truly been evident on the field. Each match has been a testament to their hard work in practice sessions, skills and teamwork,” GFF Competitions Department shared.

In Group A, Berbice FA Academy have the lead position with six points, while East Coast, after playing one game, have secured three points and currently sit in second. The East Coast team are focused on winning their match against Georgetown on October 21, to dethrone Berbice from the top spot.
Meanwhile, East Bank, having also accrued three points, have played two games and currently hold the third position on the table. The National Under-15 team and Georgetown have faced a challenging start to their campaign, suffering two consecutive losses each without managing to score a single point.
In Group B, Upper Demerara hold the top spot with six points after two games, while Bartica hold three points after playing one game.
Rupununi have also accumulated three points from two games, with one win and one loss. Essequibo and West Demerara are yet to secure a point, having suffered two defeats each so far.
On October 21, Upper Demerara would be seeking to build on their lead with a win over Bartica.
The NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 National Academy Playoff complements the Academy Training Centre programme, which specifically targets boys aged 14 to 17 years old. ATC is an approved ‘Generation Next’ FIFA developmental programme.