Five players on the Guyana team in the Concacaf Under-20 Women’s Qualifiers in Antigua and Barbuda have been deemed ineligible to compete in the tournament.
News Room Sport understands that Olivia Watt, Kaela Medas, Shareina Langevine, Sarah DaSilva and Myanna Fernandes do not possess a Guyanese passport, hence their ineligibility.
The Guyana Football Federation, in an official statement on Friday morning, said it is working with all concerned to arrive at a resolution.
“The Guyana Football Federation remains committed to resolving this matter and is actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders to find a solution,” the statement read.
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Below is the full statement issued by the Federation
Players born outside of Guyana are eligible to represent the nation once it is demonstrated to the relevant authorities that either a parent or grandparent was born in Guyana.
FIFA regulations permit this eligibility, provided the player presents a valid passport – issued by the country of birth of their parent or grandparent, to the designated Match Commissioner on the day of the game.
The process of obtaining these passports is complex and requires coordinated efforts from multiple parties.
In previous years, authorities did not require players to be physically present for passport issuance, which significantly reduced logistical and financial burdens on the GFF.
However, within the last 24 hours, we have been informed of a policy change that now mandates in-person appearances.
For the past two decades, a designated technical official from the travel contingent would remain in Guyana to collect any passports subject to delays.
Such delays can occur due to the vetting of source documents, late call-ups, the identification of exceptional talent, or the standard processing time for applications.
It is important to note that securing passports for diaspora players is an inherently demanding task for the national team management, a challenge further compounded when managing four national teams simultaneously.
Currently, five players in the U-20 Women’s squad have been affected by this situation and do not have their Guyana passport.
The Guyana Football Federation remains committed to resolving this matter and is actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders to find a solution.
The post Five U-20 female players deemed ineligible; GFF commits to resolving issue appeared first on News Room Guyana.
