That revelation creates more mystery surrounding Guyana’s qualification for funding from the world governing body, after the stadium fiasco that embarrassed the government and the nation as a whole.

After FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared last September that the world football body does not build stadia, a responsibility of governments, President Bharrat Jagdeo said in October that the UG land identified for the stadium was no longer available.

Minister of Sport Gail Teixeira then said the government had made a commitment to assist the Guyana Football Federation with land for a football project.

However, the GFF was required to identify the land and make an application, following the normal process. The application of course would have to be accompanied by a detailed proposal of the project and evidence of funding for it.

Minister Teixeira told Chronicle Sport: “The nation cannot be taken for a ride again, like the stadium.”

In a meeting with the GFF and the FIFA Development Officer early January, Minister Teixeira said all the conditions were laid down, with the minister even asking Look Loy for a written commitment from FIFA for the funding of the project.

The GFF in another section of the media declared that Guyana might not benefit from the Goal programme because the government had not made a written commitment for the land. The sport minister replied to that a few days later.

Subsequently, Look Loy announced that FIFA would approve the project without the government’s written commitment for the land, saying Guyana was an “exceptional” case. But how “exceptional” is Guyana?

Internet information on the Goal programme FIFA states: “Derived from pilot project experiences, a clear, transparent and structured process has been defined with strict timing - identical for all national associations.”

FIFA went so far in outlining the process that includes four phases stretching over four months, after which the Goal Bureau meets for the Approval session to make decisions on projects applied for by countries identified for funding.

The process is given as follows:

Preparation (20 days) - Selected national associations fill in the official Goal questionnaire that gathers information on the status and organisation of football in the respective country. After having evaluated and completed the form, the FIFA Development Officer forwards the questionnaire to the central FIFA Goal Management Team.

Inspection Visit (25 days) - An inspection visit to the selected countries is conducted to identify most urgent football development needs and to agree on long-term development objectives of the national association. A comprehensive report specifies - among others - potential Goal project(s). A decision on the project(s) is taken by FIFA on recommendation of the Development Officer.

Proposal Development (45 days) - In close cooperation, the national association and the FIFA Development Officer work out project proposal(s) that define the scope, costs and implementation plan for the agreed upon project(s).

Approval (30 days) - In the approval phase, the project proposals are evaluated at FIFA. In order to prepare a fair and fact-based decision, details need to be clarified so that the proposal is complete and can be studied by the Goal Bureau members.

Approval session - The Goal Bureau decides on the proposed project(s).

As outlined above, the application takes four months. This implies that the calendar year comprises three application cycles ending with the Approval Session that will take place in February, June and October. All selected national associations are scheduled for one.

The Bolivia football federation even bought the land so that their project could be approved.

Is Guyana so exceptional that FIFA is waiving its “strict timing” which is “identical” for all National associations?

Minister Teixeira asked: “Or is this another Trinidadian coming to Guyana and saying what is convenient and expedient for the moment? I think we remember the words of one Jack Warner.”