To be the best, you have to beat the best; it’s one of the most common saying in sports and according to famed National Player Walter Moore, Slingerz Football Club can easily beat the best Football team in Guyana – Alpha United.
For the past five years, Alpha ‘the Hammer’ United is ‘the’ team to beat.
Having some of the best players Guyana has to offer, the team owned by Presidential Adviser on Youth Empowerment Odinga Lumumba, is Guyana’s most successful club, being the only team from these shores to ever play at the CONCACAF Champions League; the pinnacle of club championship in the North American, Central America and Caribbean peninsula.
Added to that, the club has won basically every trophy for every tournament ever played in Guyana and this year they are hoping to claim their second Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Banks Beer Cup title but so too are the new kids on the block – Slingerz FC.
A Businessman from the West Demerara area who also happens to be a lover of sports, was influenced by many to put together a team of elite players with one simple task which is to be the best team in Guyana.
Unfortunately for Slingerz FC, that capo belongs to Alpha United and on two occasions that ironically turned out to be two finals (Mayors Cup and Goal for Gold tournament), they (Slingerz) felt the weight of the ‘Hammer’.
“That was then, this is now” Moore explained, adding “things are different now because im here and the team got stronger as well”.
This is Moore’s first stint with Slingerz, having only this month returned home from playing the Kazakhstan Premier League.
“We have to be honest and give Alpha United the respect because they helped put footballers out there and put this country on the map because they reached far in the sport. They have a very good coach in (Wayne) Dover and I enjoyed playing with them” Moore Said.
The former Caledonia AIA standout however stated that Slingerz FC seems a bit more professional, something he said is not prevalent in newly formed clubs.
“Im actually feeling right at home with them. I just returned from professional club in Kazakhstan and believe me, Slingerz’s operation is not far off based on how they do business. The owner of the team as well, he tries his best to make sure that the players are happy and has everything they need and sometimes I wish if all the clubs in Guyana was like Slingerz and Alpha” said Moore.
He further added that “what I know for sure is that we are going to win this championships and honestly, Alpha United is the only team that would stand in our way. What I also know is that the players are all focused and we’ll take it one game at a time”
Moore said he feels right at home playing with Slingerz since some of his teams mates from Caledonia AIA and the Golden Jaguars apart of the team that is now coached by former National Captain Charles Pollard.
“Its nice knowing that some of the people I played with over the years are on the team. It makes fitting in very easy. Pollard who was my captain on the National team is my coach now so he knows every players weakness and strengths which is a plus for us” Moore pointed out.
According to the Fixtures for the tournament, Slingerz will play their first game of the tournament on December 7 in Berbice against Cougars while Alpha United is down to face off against Grove Hi-Teach on a date to be announced by the organisers.
The winners of this year’s Banks Beer Cup will pocket $4M. (Rawle Toney)
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