In an effort to commence training for the impending Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers in March, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially tested members of its locally based senior men’s national squad and staff for the COVID-19 virus.
This was disclosed in a release from the federation. According to the correspondence, the tests which were conducted at the GFF National Training Centre in Providence, occurred following the approval from the National COVID-19 Task Force to resume training.
Thirty-two players and 10 staff members were tested by medical personnel from the Ministry of Health. Once given the green light, training will commence, with initial physical evaluations scheduled for tomorrow and Sunday at the National Training Centre. The locally based squad will be split into two groups of 16 for its physical evaluations.
Upon the conclusion of the physical evaluations, training will be held under strict safety protocols, with weekly COVID-19 tests planned to monitor the health of the respective groups during the duration of the preparatory period.
President Wayne Forde said, “This is an exciting moment for the players and staff as we make progress in implementing our 100-day ‘Bounceback’ plan, following our engagement with the UEFA Assist programme. We are extremely grateful for the support and guidance of the National COVID-19 Task Force in approving our plans and the Ministry of Health in conducting these tests. We are taking every possible step to provide a COVID-secure environment so that the squad and staff remain safe and well during training.”
He further said, “With several important fixtures on the horizon, it is important for us to commence our preparations as soon as possible, as long as conditions allow, to give Guyana the best chance of success in the 2020 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March and June, followed by our historic return to the Concacaf Gold Cup stage in July.”
Meanwhile, head coach Marcio Maximo said, “I would like to reinforce the importance of testing for the safety of everyone. All of the players were present without any absences, which proves that they are aware of this issue. They represent the nation. We hope that the results are good and that we can continue our work.”
