‘FIFA Series a historic experience and moment of national pride’- GFF President

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde has given a glowing assessment of the national team’s recent experience in Saudi Arabia as part of the 2024 FIFA Series, crediting Guyana’s participation as “a true moment of national pride.”

Organised by FIFA, the new international invitational competition featured a series of friendly matches as 24 nations went head-to-head across six series and five host countries from March 21-26.

Hosted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), Guyana participated in the FIFA Series: Saudi Arabia A in Jeddah alongside Cambodia, Cape Verde, and Equatorial Guinea.

A 1-0 defeat against eventual group winners Cape Verde was followed by a 4-1 win against Cambodia, securing a second-place finish for the Golden Jaguars.

Reflecting on Guyana’s experience in FIFA’s new tournament, Forde was keen to point out the many benefits of competing in an international tournament alongside nations from around the world.

He said: “This has truly been a moment of national pride for our country and news of our selection to participate in the inaugural FIFA series was received with great excitement. The Golden Jaguars are loved and admired by the entire Guyanese society and our fans have been attentive to every aspect of this historic experience. The players have been exemplary ambassadors while, at the same time, inspiring the younger generation of footballers here in Guyana to aim higher. I wish to commend President Infantino and the FIFA Council for introducing this remarkable initiative.”

Whilst crediting FIFA for introducing a new international competition with teams from all six of FIFA’s continental governing bodies, Forde hailed SAFF as an “exceptional host” whilst discussing the impact of Guyana’s experience in Saudi Arabia.

Forde continued: “We wish to thank SAFF for stepping forward and being a generous host to our beloved Golden Jaguars. Our experience in the Kingdom has allowed our players, staff, and everyone at GFF to discover an entirely new football culture and, in particular, the warmth of the Saudi people. They have been an exceptional host and I do look forward to hosting one of their teams in Guyana in the very near future.”

For Forde, competing in Saudi Arabia could well be the springboard towards a new era of collaboration between GFF and SAFF.

When asked if the FIFA Series could be a catalyst for strengthening collaborative ties between the two federations, he revealed: “President Al Misehal and I have already exchanged correspondence and I am confident that beyond football, there is a huge opportunity for us the learn more about our cultures. I am therefore confident that through our ongoing discussions, GFF and SAFF will discover many areas of mutual interest on which we can build a sturdy partnership for football development.”

For Guyana, the 2024 FIFA Series marks a continuation of progression on and off the pitch.

Heading into the Jeddah-based series, the Golden Jaguars secured promotion to the CONCACAF Nations League A with five successive victories.

With the building blocks in place for a promising future, Forde shed light on what could potentially be in waiting for both the national team and GFF.

He added: “We most definitely hope to participate in future editions of the FIFA Series. We have generations of young footballers who I am sure are inspired by this opportunity, and it is therefore my hope that they commit to working hard towards preparing themselves for similar opportunities in the future. At the same time, we are working to create strong bilateral relationships with SAFF and other nations with the aim of playing more friendlies across women’s football and youth levels whilst exploring other opportunities for collaboration.”

Saudi Arabia was one of five FIFA Series host nations alongside Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Sri Lanka with two series held in the Kingdom and hosted by SAFF.

National teams from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA and OFC competed in six series overall with the 2024 edition serving as a pilot phase for the competition.

Many sides also faced each other for the first time in their history.