THE exact details of FIFA’s Goal project are still fuzzy, with the latest revelation that just three countries were to be involved in the pilot project.

On September 19, 1999, FIFA vice-president Austin ‘Jack’ Warner who is also president of CONCACAF, announced that Guyana would be among five countries in the CONCACAF grouping to benefit from a pilot project to have football stadia built for them.

“It is the first time that FIFA is doing this, because normally we do not spend money on capital development, on stadia and so on. But it is felt that some of the countries would need some assistance, particularly in stadia development,” Warner said.

The FIFA vice-president disclosed that FIFA had US$100 million to spend among the confederations, and five CONCACAF countries would be assisted in capital development through the Goal pilot project. The countries he named were Guyana, St Lucia, The Bahamas, Belize and Nicaragua.

Warner could not say, however, how much money would have been allocated to each country since each country’s needs would be different.

But the FIFA official had met Minister of Sport Gail Teixeira, prior to the media conference and it was agreed that the government would provide the land to build the football facility.

The minister personally led the search for a suitable site, working on stipulations from FIFA that the location must not be far from the city, in driving distance. Eventually, the FIFA architect chose land in Turkeyen belonging to the University of Guyana.

Before construction could begin, Guyana was banned by FIFA when two football officials took the Guyana Football Federation to court, citing fraudulent elections.

Then two years after the first announcement, Guyana prepared for the long awaited sod-turning ceremony, a task left for FIFA president Sepp Blatter, during his visit here. The sod was never turned because the FIFA boss declared that FIFA does not build stadia, a responsibility of governments.

The country was embarrassed, then Minister Teixeira disclosed that Warner had told her US$20 million was earmarked for the stadium. That sum was quoted in a court affidavit signed by GFF president Colin Klass and treasurer Aubrey Henry.

Then last week, FIFA’s regional development officer, Keith Look-Loy, declared that the sum he knew about for the Goal project was US$400 000 per recipient, while the countries identified for the pilot project would receive US$500 000.

But Look-Loy named three countries, not five, as the ones for the pilot project - the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua & Barbuda; the latter never being named in the original list given by Warner.

The Bahamas received US$500 000 that built just a field and a fence, while Nicaragua received US$400 000 that built a facility with five fields, dormitory, kitchen and cafeteria, and several classrooms, among other facilities.

Look-Loy said Antigua might lose their quota because they want a stadium and have not yet started construction after a year, reiterating that FIFA does not build stadiums. But he made no mention of what became of St Lucia and Belize.

The FIFA officer disclosed that Guyana lost its opportunity of being one of the countries for the pilot project with the FIFA ban.

“Internal football politics took the GFF off the list,” Look-Loy declared.

Guyana was subsequently deferred and automatically lost US$100 000, but he did not say to whom that money would go or what would happen to the money.

Look-Loy assured that the project would be approved because the government had made a commitment to provide the land, but it might not be at Turkeyen.

Construction should start mid-May and the facility would be completed by year-end or early next year. With all the twists and turns, the football fraternity would have to see the completed structure to believe it is true.