History

About the GFF

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is a private, non-profit organization registered under the Friendly Societies Act, Chapter 36:04. As the governing body for football in Guyana, the GFF holds the responsibility to regulate and manage the sport in all its forms, ensuring full compliance with the laws of Guyana.

Foundation of the Guyana Football Federation

07/05/1902
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) was established in 1902, marking the formal organization of football governance in Guyana.

First International Match

21/07/1905
British Guiana (now Guyana) played its inaugural international football match against Trinidad and Tobago, resulting in a 4–1 defeat.

First International Victory

28/01/1921
British Guiana secured its first international win, defeating neighboring Suriname 2–1 in an away match.

Affiliation with CONCACAF

12/05/1961
The GFF became affiliated with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), integrating Guyana into the regional football community.

Independence and Renaming

05/05/1966
Following Guyana's independence from British colonial rule, the national team transitioned from "British Guiana" to "Guyana" in international competitions.

FIFA Membership

06/05/1968
The GFF gained full membership in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), enabling greater participation in global football events.

First World Cup Qualification Attempt

06/05/1976
Guyana embarked on its inaugural FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign for the 1978 tournament in Argentina, facing Suriname in a two-legged preliminary round. Despite a 2–0 home victory, a 3–0 away loss led to elimination.

Caribbean Cup Debut

06/05/1991
The national team made its first appearance in the Caribbean Nations Cup, achieving a commendable fourth-place finish.

The Birth of the Lady Jaguars

06/05/1996
The Lady Jaguars were formed in 1996, marking the start of women’s football in Guyana. Despite being a relatively new team, they quickly gained recognition for their strength and determination.

Historic Winning Streak and FIFA Ranking Surge

06/05/2006
In 2006, Guyana's national team enjoyed a standout year with eleven straight wins. This success propelled them 87 places up the FIFA World Rankings, earning them a top 12 spot in CONCACAF and securing a third-seed ranking in World Cup qualifiers, a major milestone for the team.

Caribbean Nations Cup

06/05/2007
Guyana had a strong run in the 2006-07 Caribbean Nations Cup, finishing first in both Group A and Group H, which they hosted. They narrowly missed a semi-final spot, placing 3rd in the Bobby Sookram Group on goal difference, just short of qualifying for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

2014 World Cup Qualifying

06/05/2011
Coached by Jamaal Shabazz, Guyana topped their World Cup qualifying group in 2011, securing advancement to the third round with a 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago. Despite tough competition, this marked a historic step for Guyana in World Cup qualifiers.

Formation of the Elite League

18/09/2015
The GFF launched the Elite League, the premier professional football league in Guyana, aiming to enhance the competitive standard of domestic football.

Election of President Wayne Forde

06/05/2015
Wayne Forde was elected as President of the GFF, bringing new leadership and vision to the organization.

Launch of the Women’s Development League

10/10/2018
The GFF, in partnership with Ansa McAl, launched the National Women’s Football Development League. The league was designed to create more football opportunities for women and girls across the country, fostering equal access to the sport and sparking important conversations on gender equality in football.

First CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualification

23/03/2019
Guyana's national team qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the nation's football history.

2020 – Football Paused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic brought football activities in Guyana to an unprecedented halt. Key Highlights • Domestic football competitions were suspended. • National team activities and international fixtures were postponed. • Coach education, referee development and grassroots programmes were significantly affected. • The GFF shifted its focus towards planning for the safe return of football while maintaining engagement with Regional Associations and stakeholders.

2021 – Return to International Competition

Football gradually resumed following the disruption caused by the pandemic. - Golden Jaguars Begin FIFA World Cup Campaign The Senior Men's National Team competed in Group F of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Concacaf Qualifiers, facing regional opponents like Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Guyana finished fourth in their table having won one game and lost three games. The Golden Jags also participated in the Gold Cup Preliminary Round where in their first appearance in the modified prelim structure, Guyana faced Guatemala in a single-elimination match in July 2021 at the DRV PNK Stadium in Florida. They were defeated 0-4, ending their campaign in the first round. - Restart of Domestic Football The Federation began restoring competitions and football development activities across the country as restrictions eased.

2022 – Building Momentum

- Concacaf Nations League The Golden Jaguars competed in Group B of the Concacaf Nations League, continuing Guyana's development against higher-level regional opposition. The Golden Jaguars won 3 games, draw 1 game and lost 2 games in this group which comprises of countries like Haiti, Bermuda and Montserrat. - Women's Football The Lady Jags finished second in Group F of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship Qualifiers. They earned two wins, one draw, and one loss across their group matches, narrowly missing out on advancing to the main tournament. In the group were Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Dominica and Turks and Caicos Island. - Football Development The Federation continued rebuilding domestic football while expanding coach education, referee training and grassroots initiatives across Guyana.

2023 – Expanding Football Development

2023 marked another important year of growth as the Federation strengthened football structures throughout the country. - Elite League Returns Domestic football continued its expansion with another successful Elite League campaign, providing Guyana's top clubs with a pathway to regional competition. - Grassroots Growth The GFF continued investing in: • Coach Education • Referee Development • Youth Football • Women's Football • Regional Association competitions International Football - Golden Jaguars Golden Jaguars were eliminated in the second round of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims. Wining 5-3 on penalties vs Grenada in Round 1 and then moving onto round 2 where they were eliminated by Guadeloupe in a 2-0 defeat. The Golden Jaguars went on an unbeaten Campaign run in the 2023-24 Nations League: Group D (League B) where they won all 5 for their group games and were promoted to League A of the Nations League. - Lady Jags and U20 Lady Jags During the 2023 CONCACAF W Road to Gold Cup qualification, the senior Guyana Lady Jags topped Group A in League B to secure a historic advancement to the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup Preliminary Round. In April 2023, the Guyana U-20 Lady Jags also competed in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship Qualifiers. They put up a valiant effort in Group C, defeating Suriname 6-0 and crushing Dominica 10-0. However, they narrowly missed qualification after a 0-0 draw against the host nation, Dominican Republic, finishing second on goal difference.

2024 – Expanding Women's Football

Elite League Season 6 The GFF Elite League Season 6 concluded with Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC crowned champions after another outstanding domestic campaign. Their victory secured Guyana's place in the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, where the GDF FC did not progress beyond the group stage. International Football- - Lady Jags In the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Preliminary round the Guyana Lady Jags were eliminated after a narrow 0-1 single-match defeat against the Dominican Republic. - Golden Jaguars 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (CONCACAF Second Round) 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League (League A)- After earning historic promotion to the top tier (League A), Guyana faced elite regional competition in Group A, but struggled and was ultimately relegated back to League B. - Inaugural Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship The Federation launched the Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship, creating Guyana's first nationwide girls' school football competition. The tournament represented a landmark investment in girls' football development and has since become one of the Federation's flagship youth programmes. The first edition of this tournament was won by St. Ignatius Secondary School.

2025 – Guyana Competes Across the Region

- Elite League Season 7 Slingerz FC were crowned GFF Elite League Season 7 Champions, capturing the national title after an impressive campaign. Their victory qualified them to represent Guyana in the 2026 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield, the premier regional competition for champion clubs from developing Caribbean football associations. - Caribbean Club Shield Performance Slingerz enjoyed an impressive international debut by: • Defeating SWA Sharks FC (Turks & Caicos) 4-0 • Defeating Prison Service FC (Trinidad & Tobago) 4-3 • Reaching the Quarter-finals • Finishing among the Top Eight clubs in the competition before losing to SV Robinhood of Suriname The quarter-final appearance marked one of the strongest recent performances by a Guyanese club in regional competition. - Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary Round The Golden Jaguars competed in the Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary Round, where they faced regional powerhouse Guatemala in a home-and-away format, the Golden Jaguars were eliminated 4-3 on aggregate after a valiant effort. - Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship The Federation successfully hosted the Second Edition of the Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship, expanding participation from schools across Guyana and further strengthening the pathway for young female footballers. This Second edition was won by Annai Secondary School. - Lady Jags The Lady Jags were drawn into Group D of the 2026 Concacaf Women's Under-17 Qualifiers.

2026 – Transforming Football Development

2026 became one of the Federation's most ambitious years for football development, with major investments in youth football, girls' football, coaching and refereeing. - GFF Youth Ensemble Programme The GFF Youth Ensemble Programme is a landmark nationwide youth football initiative launched by the Guyana Football Federation in 2026 to create a structured pathway for player development. The programme features Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 competitions, beginning with Regional Leagues and culminating in National Championships. The programme represents the Federation's largest investment in youth football. - Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship The Federation staged the Third Edition of the championship, further expanding opportunities for girls' football nationwide. This Third edition was won by Annai Secondary School who also won the second edition. - DOF FIFA Arena Girls Football Academy The GFF signed a landmark agreement with DOF Subsea to establish the DOF FIFA Arena Girls Football Academy. The partnership includes: • Construction of a FIFA Arena facility • Increased access to football for girls • Long-term investment in female player development • Expanded grassroots participation This initiative represents one of the largest investments in girls' football in Guyana's history. - FIFA Regional Office Visit Mohammed Amiel, Manager of the FIFA Regional Office, visited Guyana to observe the Youth Ensemble Programme and praised the Federation's youth development strategy as an important model for football growth in the Caribbean. - Developing Match Officials The Federation significantly expanded referee education through: • Referee Introductory Courses • Referee Refresher Courses • Elite Referee Fitness Testing • FIFA referee programmes • Concacaf referee development initiatives These programmes improved the quality and consistency of officiating across Guyana. - Coach Education The Federation continued investing heavily in coach development through nationwide delivery of: • FIFA D Licence Courses • School D Licence Courses • Coach Educator Development Courses • C Licence Coaching Courses These programmes strengthened coaching standards from grassroots to elite football. - Senior Lady Jags 2026 Campaign The Senior Lady Jags competed in Group B of the 2026 Concacaf Women's Championship Qualifiers. They finished their group stage run in the first half of the year with wins over Dominica and Antigua & Barbuda and a lost to Jamaica. - Senior Golden Jaguars 2026 Campaign The senior men's team won both of their scheduled fixtures during the 2026 Concacaf Friendly Series.
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