Bartica, East Coast edge ahead in GFF Boys’ U-13 Challenge Trophy

A 2-0 victory over West Demerara Football Association ensured Bartica held on to the lead in Group A of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Boys’ U-13 Challenge Trophy after week four, while a goalless draw away to Berbice proved enough for East Coast Demerara to leap above rivals Georgetown to top Group B.

A first-half effort from Bartica’s Michael Joseph and an own goal from Jason Adams gave the Region Seven side a comfortable win over West Demerara at the Bartica Community Ground on Saturday, November 13.

East Bank Demerara beat Essequibo/Pomeroon 3-0 at the Anna Regina Ground on the same day, with two first-half goals from Mickel Morris and a third from Jaden Tasher.

That result leaves East Bank in second place on seven points in Group A with a game in hand over first placed Bartica, who have nine points.

In Group B, with Georgetown not in action, there was an opportunity for East Coast Demerara to nudge in front at the top of the table.

In the end, a nil-all draw against Berbice at All Saints Ground on November 14 was enough to see the East Coast side pull one-point clear of Georgetown, who have played one less game than their coastal rivals.

Group B’s other match, played out on November 13, saw Upper Demerara overcome the domestic-based Guyana National U-17 Women’s Team – competing as a guest side in the competition – at the GFF National Training Centre.

Goals from Keishon Leacock and Zimri Rose within the first 12 minutes proved the difference in a 2-0 win for the Region 10 team.

The U-13 Boys’ tournament is part of the GFF’s groundbreaking Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme, launched in 2017 and the first of its kind in the Caribbean region.

The ATC is a selective national youth development programme that gives girls and boys aged between 6-19 a weekly, structured training curriculum anchored in the GFF’s football philosophy and delivered consistently throughout its nine regional associations.

The competition involves representative teams from U-13 ATC groups in all nine regional associations, as well as the National U-17 Women’s Team. A primary purpose of the tournament is to identify potential talent for the Caribbean Football Union Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series in 2022.

On November 20, East Bank will take on West Demerara at the GFF National Training Centre, while Essequibo/Pomeroon will host the Rupununi.

On November 21, East Coast play Georgetown at Melanie Ground and the National U-17 Women’s Team will compete against Berbice at the National Training Centre.

As well as offering talent identification opportunities for the upcoming CFU tournament, the U-13 tournament enables the GFF Technical Department to assess progress being made by the ATCs in all nine associations, and to test logistics for future inter-academy and intra-association tournaments, which will be a key feature of the 2022 national football season. (GFF)