“So far, so good” – Forde on Women’s League

Now into its third month of action, the Women’s Division One League 2025 has thus far provided a platform for entertaining women’s competition in Guyana.
Featuring 10 teams from across the country, the League is providing playing opportunities to players from almost every region, in a quest for a $1 million grand prize.

During an exclusive chat with Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde, he highlighted some of the positive aspects of the League, noting that it has been good thus far.
“I think at the moment, we have almost 200 young women playing football every weekend, and they’ll be doing this for the next five months, and then once the League is settled and the champion has emerged, then we go into the League Cup; I think it’s unprecedented. We haven’t had women’s football competition that would have lasted as long as this tournament will last. So, we are able to check many of the boxes that are informing our planning process,” Forde explained.

He continued, “One is that the girls are going to be getting a lot of game time; they’re obviously training more often. This is being done just when we are about to get into the CONCACAF W championship. So, it is quite possible that many of the girls playing in the domestic space will be eligible and will stand out in the selection process when the national team gets here. So, I believe it’s a bold step. It’s obviously a huge investment on the part of the GFF and we have a lot of support from FIFA in pursuing this.”
“I was happy to observe from a little bit of a distance that things were going pretty well, and so far, so good,” Forde declared.
Quizzed about the participation of several hinterland-based players and teams, the GFF boss described the move as a positive step.
He reasoned, “We know the talent is there, it’s always been a challenge of how we access that talent. So, the fact that we’ve been able to have River’s View from Bartica stepping into the tournament, Mainstay has been able to put together a good squad; they’re competing, and they’re doing well. And in the Guyana Defence Force, which is arguably, maybe, the strongest team in the tournament, and even the Guyana Police Force, we’re seeing a lot of hinterland players participating. We are nowhere close to where I believe we need to be, to really give every young girl who has a passion for football the opportunity to play. We’re nowhere close to that place, but I think we’re making positive, progressive, incremental steps.”
“But I would say it’s a bold statement that we’re making, that we want to give every young female a chance to play football. And if there is a hinterland team or a hinterland player that has the desire, it is the role of the GFF and our members, for a matter of fact, to open up a pathway. And while we still haven’t had the involvement of the best teams, in my humble opinion, yet in the tournament, I believe that that is not too far on the horizon,” the GFF President went on to share.
Forde also responded to inquiries regarding his thoughts on the tournament’s competitiveness, appreciating the efforts of smaller clubs in the competition.
The GFF President divulged to Guyana Times Sport, “I think clearly the Police FC and GDF FC are a few cuts above everyone else, and I’ve watched both of those teams play. For matter of fact, I was able to watch GDF when they played in Trinidad and the most striking thing that I’ve seen in both Police FC and GDF is they’re trying to put the ball down the carpet and play football. Even though they’re dominant and they can go and go on and score many goals as they have, even when they’re in that position where they’re playing an opponent that is much, much weaker than them, they’re still trying to play football.
“I think it will be quite a match when they finally meet each other. Surely, the entire country and fans are waiting for that match up. The jury’s a little bit out of that one.”
He said regarding the competition’s other clubs, “With regard to the other teams, I think we’re seeing some decent play from some of the teams that are a little bit below those two teams. I was happy to see that River’s View came right away and started to make a statement. It’s good to see Mainstay representing for the community. Monedderlust was a surprise for us. And I mean, it’s not just this quality of play, which is the question that you asked, it is the effort that those clubs have made to put together those squads and getting them there every day. I think by the time this competition is over, we will see the overall quality of play elevated, we will see that, and that is the reason why the League has been organised.”
The Women’s Division One League will continue today, Wednesday, October 1, with a double-header at the GFF’s National Training Centre at Providence, East Bank Demerara. At 18:00h, Police will take on Fruta Conquerors FC while at 19:00h, GDF battle Western Tigers FC.