Match officials Greene and Johnson to represent Guyana at CFU Youth tournaments

Shavin Greene and Gladwyn Johnson will represent Guyana as match officials for the upcoming CFU Boys’ and Girls’ U-14 Challenge Series in the Dominican Republic. The two non-FIFA tournaments provide much needed game time for match officials following the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The competitions also offer a chance to assess regional referee development programmes ahead of future international tournaments.

“We are extremely elated to have our two match officials appointed for this CFU series,” said GFF Head of Refereeing and Executive Committee member Dion Inniss.

“Opportunities for our referees in recent times have been very few and far between because of the pandemic. We hope that this opportunity to advance their careers and ensure they do all that is required to be seen and to elevate their performance.”

“It’s a tournament for non-FIFA referee, so obviously if you have a successful tournament, it enhances your opportunities and your chances of being elevated to a higher level,” Inniss said.

The rescheduled 2020 CFU Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series and the 2021 Girls’ U-14 Challenge Series take place in the Dominican Republic this month.

“I would like to thank the Refereeing Department of the Guyana Football Federation for giving me the opportunity to participate in my first overseas tournament,” said Shavin Greene.

“I am really excited and happy to be a part of this tournament to gain a lot more experience and also to put my best foot forward out there, so that I can show the world and, more so, the Caribbean the talent that Guyana has. On my journey of wanting to become a FIFA referee, this is one of the opportunities where I will be able to showcase such talent to the eyes that are out there,” he said.

As football’s governing bodies continue to adapt to the restrictions imposed by the continuing pandemic, Guyanese referee instructors Sherwin Moore and Ingram Johnson participated in an official FIFA online course for the Concacaf region this week.

The Virtual FIFA Futuro III course, which ran from August 16-19, focused on the education of referee technical instructors to enhance the development of refereeing in FIFA member associations.

The GFF will also host its annual Referees Assessment Programme (RAP) this week at the GFF National Training Centre at Providence, as the Federation steps up its “return to play” plans ahead of the safe resumption of competitions.