May 23, 2026, Georgetown – FIFA’s Regional Member Association Development Manager, Amiel Mohammed, paid a special visit to several Regional Associations on Saturday, May 23, 2026, to observe matches being played in the Youth Ensemble U13 Programme. The visit comes as part of a collaborative initiative between the Guyana Football Federation and FIFA aimed at establishing a sustainable annual calendar of structured youth football competitions across Guyana.
Accompanied by the GFF team, Mohammed began his visit at the Buxton Ground, where the East Demerara Football Association hosted playoff matches between Melanie FC and Mahaicony Western Lions, along with Haslington Stars and Plaisance FC. He then travelled to the National Training Centre (NTC), where the East Bank Football Association staged matches between Circuit Ville Jaguars FC and Timehri United FC, as well as Herstelling Raiders FC and Kuru Kururu FC.
The FIFA representative concluded the tour at the West Ruimveldt Ground, where the Georgetown Football Association hosted their march-past.
During the visit, Mohammed commended the Federation’s commitment to structured youth development and emphasised the importance of creating consistent competitive opportunities for young players at the grassroots level.
“This is what football development is all about. Being out here on the field, having the landscape and giving the youths the opportunity to play in a structured manner and the GFF in achieving these initiatives and these missions ".
Mohammed further highlighted FIFA’s objectives through the Youth Ensemble Programme, noting that the initiative was born out of a shared vision between FIFA and the Guyana Football Federation to strengthen youth football development across the country.
“The programme was developed as part of President Forde and the GFF’s vision in alignment with the FIFA Forward regulations. They saw the need for this concept in the local landscape, and we are happy and grateful to support it by providing the funding necessary to foster youth development and competition in a healthy and enriching environment,” he noted.
President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, said the visit by FIFA Regional Member Association Development Manager Amiel Mohammed underscored FIFA’s continued commitment to supporting youth and grassroots football development in Guyana through initiatives like the Youth Ensemble Programme.
“It shows FIFA’s commitment to our vision for the game, which fits neatly into FIFA’s global vision for football. We know the foundation of football is at the grassroots level, and it has been a huge challenge for many countries within our region to establish sustainable, well-structured youth competitions, particularly youth leagues. The investment required to achieve this would not be possible without the support of the governing body.
Amiel’s visit here is a reassurance of FIFA’s commitment to youth football, grassroots development, and the leadership of the GFF,” Forde stated.
The Youth Ensemble Programme forms part of FIFA’s broader mandate to support Member Associations in strengthening grassroots football structures, increasing participation opportunities, and creating sustainable player development pathways from the community level to elite competition.
Over the coming weeks, U13 matches will continue to be played on Saturdays in a 9 v 9 cross-field format, while U15 matches will be contested on Sundays in the standard 11 v 11 format. Competitions will utilise a combination of round-robin and knockout systems, culminating in a National Playoff stage featuring 20 clubs divided into four groups before advancing to the semi-finals and national finals.
Led by the Guyana Football Federation in collaboration with FIFA, the transformational Youth Ensemble Programme represents an annual investment of G$44 million and is expected to engage approximately 130 clubs while impacting more than 3,000 young players nationwide through structured U13, U15 and U17 competitions.
