As the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) prepares to kick off the seventh season of the Elite League tomorrow at the National Training Centre in Providence, concerns continue to mount over the competition’s fixture setting.
Several clubs, players, and coaches have expressed unease over what appears to be either a manipulation of the schedule or an amazing coincidence, with Slingerz FC once again facing off against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in the final round before the break and the last round of the season, just as they did in the previous campaign.
The decision to stage arguably the league’s biggest match at a strategically timed point in the season raises critical questions about fairness and transparency. In most leagues worldwide, fixtures are determined through random draws or structured scheduling systems that ensure fairness and prevent undue influence.
The English Premier League, for instance, employs a random yet balanced fixture-generation process, ensuring that no team is unfairly advantaged. Similarly, Major League Soccer (MLS) uses a combination of geographic and competitive balancing, yet still adheres to principles that prevent the appearance of favouritism.
The GFF’s decision-making process, however, remains shrouded in mystery. The governing body has provided no clear explanation for why this high-stakes fixture has been placed in the same crucial round for a second consecutive season. In an attempt to gain clarity, Stabroek Sport reached out to the federation via WhatsApp with two questions:
1. What’s the rationale behind scheduling Slingerz FC vs. GDF at these critical junctures of the season for the second consecutive year?
2. League fixtures are typically drawn randomly or in reverse order—what protocol was used in determining this season’s fixtures?
Despite the messages being read, no response was provided by the GFF up to press time.
