THE Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) Goal Project was given the thumbs-up by Gregory Engelbrecht, FIFA Development Manager for the Americas after visiting the site last Friday.

“I’m quite satisfied with the movement of the land. They are preparing the grounds to make two fields and it is the first phase of this project in which FIFA is providing the funds and we are looking forward to the finishing of this phase so we can move on to the next one,” said Engelbrecht moments after presenting the JFF Under-21 trophy to champions Harbour View at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

The first phase, which is expected to be completed by the latest September, will cost FIFA US$400,000 and should include training fields, changing rooms, irrigation system and perimeter fencing.

As soon as that phase is completed, FIFA will again assist in developing Goal Projects Two and Three which will comprise dorms, gyms, physiotherapy facilities and parking lots.

But despite the global financial crunch, football’s world governing body FIFA has no problem financing any of its 208 member associations.

“So far we have no red lights. Thanks to our previous World Cups and the one coming this year, we are financially very stable and we will continue to help our members without any kind of problem,” Engelbrecht noted.

The JFF Goal Project has been in limbo since 2003 when ground was first broken in Portmore, St Catherine, under Captain Horace Burrell’s administration.

Following his defeat at the polls by Crenston Boxhill in November 2003, Burrell’s Portmore site for the proposed academy was abandoned and relocated to the hilly interior of Malvern in St Elizabeth.

Construction of phase one of that venture started with the standard Goal Project Bureau grant of US$400,000, but the work was stalled.

Burrell, who returned to office in 2007, found a new site for the Goal Project at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Papine, St Andrew, with a groundbreaking ceremony in January 2010.

But construction was stalled as the JFF had to wait on the approval of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) following proper submissions.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Observer has learnt that the Ministry of Education is going after a property owned JFF in St Elizabeth which was the Goal Project site under the Boxhill administration and wants to ink a deal before September.

Burrell has confirmed that the ministry is interested and are doing their due diligence.

The Munro Villas property is a three-acre real estate development comprising land and unfinished buildings and is across the road from Munro College.