Guyana Football Federation and DOF Subsea Launch Landmark Girls’ Academy to Accelerate Women’s Football Development
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The landscape of women’s football in the Caribbean took a major step forward last week with the formalization of a transformative five-year partnership between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and DOF Subsea to establish the nation’s first dedicated elite training center for young female athletes.
The centerpiece of this collaboration, the DOF–FIFA Arena Girls Football Academy, is supported by a GYD$40 million commitment from DOF Subsea over the next five years. This investment ensures the academy’s long-term sustainability and provides a professionalized pathway for the next generation of Guyanese talent to transition from grassroots play to competitive excellence.
The launch was highlighted by a vibrant Girls’ Grassroots Festival held at the National Gymnasium on Friday, April 24. The event showcased the burgeoning skill and enthusiasm of young players from across the region, serving as a live demonstration of the talent pool the new academy aims to cultivate. Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio joined GFF officials and international partners on the pitch to witness the festivities, emphasizing the importance of local initiatives in achieving broader regional goals.
“Seeing the enthusiasm and raw talent on display at the grassroots level is a testament to the work being done by the GFF,” said General Secretary Moggio. “This new academy is about creating a professional environment where young women are empowered to reach their full potential. At Concacaf, we are proud to see our Member Associations secure the private sector partnerships necessary to turn regional visions into local realities.”
The academy will be primarily based at the upcoming FIFA Arena facility in Haslington, East Coast Demerara, with a curriculum specifically designed to meet the rigorous technical, safeguarding, and governance standards upheld by FIFA, Concacaf, and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). This alignment ensures that the development program remains world-class while offering the flexibility to expand to additional locations as the program grows.
This project represents a vital pillar of the “One Concacaf” philosophy, which prioritizes the professionalization of youth pipelines to strengthen the competitive quality of football across all 41 Member Associations. By providing elite-level coaching at a younger age, the GFF is effectively strengthening the regional pipeline that feeds into major international stages like the Concacaf W Gold Cup.
The formal signing ceremony at the World Trade Centre brought together a diverse group of stakeholders dedicated to the sport’s upward trajectory. Alongside General Secretary Moggio, the event featured GFF President Wayne Forde, the Honourable Minister Steven Jacobs from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and Ms. Josephine Tapp, President of the Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Guyana. They were joined by Deputy British High Commissioner Liam McShane, and senior leadership from DOF Subsea, including EVP North America Marco Sclocchi and VP of Finance Samuel Shield.
As the GFF begins the delivery of this comprehensive development program, the partnership stands as a model for how strategic investment and international standards can converge to create lasting opportunities. With the launch of the DOF–FIFA Arena Girls Academy, Guyana is ensuring that its future stars are not only discovered but are given the resources to shine on the world stage.
