Lady Jags, GFF President pay courtesy call on West Demerara students

Members of the Senior Women’s National Team and Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde have treated students and teachers at West Demerara Secondary School to football gifts and free tickets for this week’s crunch Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifier against Nicaragua.

The GFF President and four star players visited the school on Wednesday as part of a huge effort to publicise the match and to encourage fans to come out in large numbers to support the Lady Jags when the two sides meet at the Leonora National Track and Field Centre from 20:00h on Friday, April 8.

The Jags are currently top of their qualifying group, with forthcoming matches against their Central American rivals and Trinidad and Tobago set to decide which team will progress to the Concacaf W Championship in July, which acts as a gateway to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Forwards Stefanie Kouzas and Annalisa Vincent, goalkeeper Natalie Nedd, midfielder Hannah Baptiste and President Forde greeted students and staff, signed autographs and took photos at the school in a visit that also sought to inspire girls to take up football and participate in the first-ever GFF-Blue Water Shipping National Under-15 Girls’ League.

“I want to thank the school for accommodating us,” said President Forde. “We have been graciously welcomed here and we have had a really good interaction with the students.”

“We want to ensure that the team has all the support it needs to bring home the victory on Friday, but this interaction is not just about inspiring young people to come out and give the Lady Jags the support they need, it’s also to stimulate an interest among young girls in the game of football,” Forde added.