-declines to comment on status of Head Coach Shabazz
Under pressure, Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde has confirmed that late payments were made to players of the national team on more than one occasion while also acknowledging that the travel arrangements made for the players are not ideal.
He yesterday conducted an interview with NCN and Newsroom but has not been available to Stabroek Sport.
Forde did not confirm whether or not the Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamal Shabazz has been asked to resign from his post, as reported by Stabroek Sport, only saying that there are ongoing discussions between Shabazz and the GFF.
Forde addressed questions about the numerous inadequacies attributed to the GFF by the national team. Stabroek Sport had published an article in the Sunday edition (October 27) where concerns about late payments, travel arrangements and a lack of communication were raised by members of the national team in a letter sent to the GFF.
In response to these issues, Forde said: “Just like you, we have seen those reports in a particular section of the media, I think the report quoted a source close to the programme and as far as I am aware we have no official information other than a correspondence between the players and the federation highlighting a couple of concerns that are being reviewed by the GFF”.
In stark contrast to a concern which was raised by the players with respect to a lack of communication, Forde said that the GFF has an open line of communication.
“We maintain a very open line of communication with our players, we respect their rights to raise any concerns that they may have and of course we have the right to examine those concerns and communicate with the players within the protocols of how we communicate as a federation. We are respectful to our players and our staff, due to that we keep our communication directly with them. I don’t comment on information that a player or someone close to the programme may wish to share, I don’t ever engage in those things. But what I can say is that we have a correspondence signed by quite a few players and even a couple of staff and we will respond to those concerns in due course”, he stated.
While Forde posited that a lot of times sources’ disclosures are never factual, he went on to confirm that late payments were made to the national side on more than one occasion, lending credence to information reaching this newspaper that players match fees were not being paid in a timely manner.
The GFF head revealed that in the first and second games in the Concacaf Nations League, the players were paid four days late while noting that for the last game, the players were paid within the allotted time. He also mentioned that they had received advance payments before traveling to those games while explaining that the GFF has also increased players’ fees.
“We have increased the compensation for players by 40% for the Nations League and 90% for the World Cup Qualifiers. I would say to you that our players are well compensated and well treated”.
Martinique
Speaking to the inadequate travel arrangements cited by the players in the letter, Forde said: “When the Golden Jaguars played Martinique, we chartered a flight to get them there, because had we gone commercial, with the amount of connections the guys would have had to endure, they would have gotten to the location only a few hours prior, maybe we would have only gotten in one training session and it wouldn’t have been healthy for them. So I believe we invested US$30,000+ to use a charter, so yes there are times when we are unable to give them the best possible flights, usually on the return leg. Getting them here, we try to find a smooth as possible route because we try to get them here as fresh as they can or wherever the game is, but the challenge is usually on the return leg back to their destination”.
Meanwhile, contrary to a video seen by this newspaper where nine players could be seen occupying one room during a layover in Barbados, Forde told the media operatives that there were only three or four players who were caught in the layover.
“We have had a few challenges with a few players. I believe in the last leg, we had about three to four players who would have had a layover in Barbados but most of the players would have had as best as we could offer in terms of commercial routes back”.
Asked about the status of Shabazz’ position, Forde did not say if the Trinidadian would still be in charge of the team for the upcoming Concacaf ‘Play-In’ matches against Barbados on November 15 and 19.
“I’m not going to comment on that, again we can clearly see that sources are giving themselves a lot of liberty, what I would say is that as much as there is ongoing discussions between the GFF leadership and Coach Shabazz and once we have a final resolution to those discussions, the GFF will do what we always do, make a very clear and responsible statement”.
Exact
The letter, which was signed by every player who participated in Guyana’s final League A fixture against Suriname, a total of 23 to be exact of both local and foreign persuasion, detailed the concerns and issues affecting the team that have yet to be remedied and addressed by the GFF.
Although a training session was also scheduled for October 26th, only three members of the practice squad turned up for the session as the locally based senior players opted to stay away. This was a direct response to the silence of the federation in addressing the correspondence.
“We, the players of the Guyanese national football team, are writing to formally express our deep concerns about the ongoing issues that are negatively affecting both our performance and our morale as representatives of the national team. It is with respect and love for our country that we address these issues, but we must make it clear that playing for Guyana should be a privilege, not a burden,” the opening paragraph of the signed letter read.
Chief among the issues cited by the players are inadequate travel arrangements and late and inconsistent payment, among others.
“We are regularly being subjected to unreasonable travel schedules. For instance, in this window players are expected to take four flights within 24 hours, missing two nights of sleep, and arriving in the UK only two days before their club matches. This severely compromises their recovery and increases the risk of injury. These travel arrangements could have been avoided by booking more direct flights, which are readily available. Such lapses in planning reflect poorly on the preparation for international duty and directly impact player well-being and performance”, the correspondence stated.
According to the letter, the lack of financial transparency and the consistent bugbear of delayed flights “reflects poor organisational standards”, which can be alleviated or avoided with proper planning.
The letter further stated, “Contracts with specified payment dates are repeatedly being breached. We continue to wait without explanation for payments that were agreed upon, often with no communication as to why or when the funds will be paid. Moreover, we were not informed in advance that the advance payments for this camp would not be provided, further damaging trust between the players and the federation. This lack of transparency and consistency is unacceptable.”
Additionally, the players are dissatisfied with the apparent lack of effort by the GFF to resolve issues despite several prior meetings with respect to those issues.
“We have engaged in multiple meetings with federation staff over the last five months, expressing concerns and suggesting solutions, yet little progress has been made. We continue to represent Guyana out of pride and honour, but we are being met with persistent challenges on the pitch.
This is making it increasingly difficult to maintain our commitment when the treatment we receive does not match the dedication we bring to our national duty”, the correspondence stated.
According to the letter, players would like to see clear and consistent standards going forward, which entails honouring and respecting the sanctity of contracts and timely communication to address and remedy issues, noting, “Broken contracts without explanation are damaging the trust between the federation and the players.”
Although the players are willing to iron out the issues, clarity was requested on the financial constraints faced by the federation to ensure that the necessary funds are secured for the team in the future and that a disclosure of the strategies and plans that will be utilised to attract sponsorship occurs.
The letter noted, “We are at risk of developing a culture where delayed payments, poor communication, and inadequate travel arrangements are normalized. This is unacceptable and puts undue strain on the players. Players should not be forced to take up to 24 hours to return home because of an inability to secure proper travel funds, nor should we be subjected to suboptimal arrangements that harm both performance and morale. We are committed to representing Guyana with pride, but we need the federation to match this commitment by addressing these concerns.
These issues not only affect our physical well-being but also damage the morale and cohesion of the team as well as limit the nation’s ability to grow the programme further. We ask for immediate action and clear communication to resolve these matters and set a higher standard for the national team going forward.”
