The Guyana Football Federation still owe monies to the players who took part in a one-off football match in Indonesia in November of last year, a match the Indonesia team won 2-1.
This was disclosed by a player who spoke to Stabroek Sport on the condition of anonymity.
According to the player, who was part of a recent protest action in Brazil, it was the failure of the GFF to fully pay the players who participated in the Indonesia trip that sparked the protest in Brazil recently where the players refused to play the final match of their Brazil tour unless they were paid.
“The senior players started the protest. They requested their monies because they felt they would get owed by the GFF [Guyana Football Federation]. The problem started with the Indonesia trip, which the players are still owed and the players don’t want to get owed again because we have things to do,” said the player. The GFF has reportedly not paid the touring party their full stipend for the international friendly staged during the month of November 2017 in the South Asian Nation.
Efforts to get a response from the GFF yesterday proved futile. Stabroek Sports yesterday reached out to GFF President Wayne Forde, the federation’s Communications Director Debra Francis and GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood via electronic mail [emails] but got no response as of press time last night.
According to the player, Golden Jaguars Head-coach Michael Johnson, supported their decision not to play their final practice match on their Brazilian Tour against Bangu Atletico as a form of protest for the stipend not being paid as agreed upon by the federation.
“The senior players went to the coach and said they not playing if they don’t get their monies. The coach then told the manager [Rawle Adams] that they will not play the game once the players don’t get their monies,” said the player.
“There was a meeting with the Head-Coach, Technical Director [Ian Greenwood] and the team manager and after the meeting, the coach said we are not playing once the players don’t get their monies and that he is 110 percent with the team. The Technical Director and the team manager didn’t say much to us.”
The player said that the GFF has since paid out the outstanding monies from the trip. “Before we left the country, they gave us US$200. In all the monies totalled GYD$150,000 per player.” At a press conference on August 24th the GFF boss had disclosed that the players were paid 50% of their stipend and that each player received an increase from US$40 to US$50 per day, which was an initiative of the current administration. The maiden trek to Brazil formed part of the GFF’s preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Nation’s League which the local side commences on September 6th against Barbados at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.
Among the questions posed to the federation boss and the Communications Director via email, were what was the status of the investigation launched to ascertain the reasons for the strike by the players and whether the players who protested in Brazil will be eligible for selection for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League clash against Barbados and if so, whether they will be selected for the entirety of the Nations League campaign which concludes in 2019.
