UDFA U-17 tournament kicks off today at Wisburg Ground

Persistent rain in the mining town of Linden has forced the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) to convert its league format championship for the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) /NAMILCO Under-17 tournament into a knockout competition for Linden teams.

In a release, the UDFA, who are staging the tournament on behalf of the GFF, made the adjustment to ensure the tournament produces the representative Linden team for the national playoffs.
The UDFA squashed the matches played earlier in the tournament and now has a knock championship which starts today at the Wisburg Secondary School ground.
The first game in this new competition will see from 13:00hgame one pitting Botofago versus Coomacka Mines; while in game two Milerock are facing Hilltop United from 15:00h.
On Sunday another double header will be played at the same venue and Amelia’s Ward United will face Topp XX from 13:00h and the other game will feature Eagles United and Hi Stars from 15:00hrs.
The GFF/ NAMILCO flour power U-17 tournament represented the largest financial commitment to football with $30 million injected over five years by NAMILCO.
Taking on a similar format to that of the Frank Watson Under-15 tournament, the NAMILCO Under-17 tournament will first be played at the Regional Member Association (RMAs) level before there is a grand playoff with the nine winners to crown a national champion.
The RMAs participating will be Bartica Football Association (FA), Berbice FA, East Bank FA, East Demerara FA, Essequibo-Pomeroon FA, Georgetown FA, Rupununi FA, Upper Demerara FA and West Demerara FA.
The UDFA has indicated that if a game is deadlocked at the end of regulation time, the decision is to go directly to penalty kicks and an official said that next weekend is the set for the staging of the semi-finals.