CONCACAF and CFU meetings gets underway in Nassau
At Atlantis Resorts Paradise Harbour in Nassau Bahamas, The XXX Ordinary Congress of the North and Central America and the Caribbean CONCACAF) sub-continental grouping got under way on Wednesday (15) with a glitzy Hall of Fame Dinner.
The “progressive” theme is ‘Educate, Develop, Win’ will be discussed on Thursday.
The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) held their Ordinary Congress on Wednesday, while the Central American Association and CONCACAF had respective executive committee meetings.
Jeffrey Webb, CONCACAF President, and FIFA Vice President, is also President of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA).
After the Ordinary Congress, the XXI Extraordinary Congress will seek to formalise positions within the executive ranks for the 2015-2019 mandate, with key incumbents expected to be returned unopposed — seemingly a vote of confidence by the general membership with the current stewardship of what is often referred to as the “new and transparent” CONCACAF.
Webb has said he is confident congress will provide a productive and meaningful dialogue, while ensuring the confederation continues the journey to raise the standards of football.
The ‘big fight’ will be the Central American showdown for CONCACAF’s representative on FIFA’s executive committee. Incumbent Rafael Salguero of Guatemala will face fierce competition from Costa Rica’s Eduardo Li.
Webb speaking on Wednesday said special treatment was needed for Caribbean footballing nations.
“The Caribbean, the heart and soul of CONCACAF, has to be designed and gazetted as a special area for football in the world of football,” he said. “There is no other area in the world with such economic depress than the Caribbean. There’s no other part of the world that when you look at funding for football for a region, there is no other part of the world that has such an economic disadvantage.
“The smallest single budgets in the entire world for national associations is in the Caribbean. We’re special but in that regard we’re special for the wrong reason.”
Lack of resources, whether financial or human resources, is the reality for the sport’s administrators in the region, he added, saying this was the reality of Caribbean football and the reality he as president of a national association lives with every day. He also included all the presidents of national organisations in this.
“Creating that inspiration, that hope, that opportunity for individuals that we would like to but not having necessarily the resources to provide,” he said.
Earlier Webb said commenting ahead of the conference said he took personal delight in “getting together with the wider CONCACAF family to bring good tidings and to get their input in putting the ball in the right place as the confederation charts its self-acclaimed progressive course forward. CONCACAF’s Congress allows us the direct opportunity to further update each member association on the formidable work and tremendous growth achieved throughout the previous year, as we build the confederation’s vision and mission of promoting and developing our game.
“I am confident it (congress) will provide a productive and meaningful dialogue, while ensuring the confederation continues the journey to raise the standards of football.”
IMAGE: JFF president and CONCACAF vice-president Captain Horace Burrell, CONCACAF boss Jeffrey Webb and FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the head table of the, Bahamas, Wednesday. (PHOTO: CONCACAF)
Related:
Caribbean will not adopt block vote for FIFA presidency
By Reuters From Euro Sport
Last update 20 hours ago – Published on 15/04/2015 at 21:27FIFA president Sepp Blatter will have to work for the votes of the 25 Caribbean football associations after the region’s union head said they would break with their normal practice of voting as a block.
Antiguan Gordon Derrick, president of the Caribbean Football Union which has 25 votes in FIFA’s presidential election next month, said there would be no mandate from the body, long a Blatter stronghold, to vote for any one candidate. While Derrick gave no clue as to where the Caribbean’s support may go he said the block vote system, used by former CFU and CONCACAF leader Jack Warner, was a thing of the past. “Those days are long gone. If there is a democracy and we believe in a democracy then that means that everyone who is nominated has a chance to participate and whoever votes, votes, whichever way,” he told Reuters on Wednesday. The CFU is the largest voting block in CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean which has 35 member associations, a significant chunk of the 209 votes that will decide the next FIFA president. CONCACAF holds its annual congress in the Bahamas on Thursday and the CFU had its own meeting a day ahead. Blatter and the three candidates standing against him were all invited as observers to both the CFU and CONCACAF meetings. Former Portugal international Luis Figo, Dutch FA chief Michael van Praag and Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein are hoping to eat into Blatter’s support in the region ahead of the May 29 vote. The United States Soccer Federation, which is the largest federation in CONCACAF, has nominated Prince Ali. With Warner having quit in 2011 amid the cash for votes scandal, there is a very different landscape for this vote, even if Blatter can still expect plenty of support. Warner was infamous for enforcing strict discipline on associations to ensure the block vote was kept. “Because you didn’t vote (my way) that doesn’t mean you will be victimised, that’s not a democracy. Let’s not make a farce,” Derrick said. “The Caribbean presidents will get together, casually, they will have read manifestos, discussed issues, we all think alike in a lot of ways so it is quite possible that whoever they decide to go with, it would be a majority of the islands. “But there will be no mandate,” he added. Apart from Blatter, who made a formal opening statement, the candidates did not address the congress but they will no doubt take advantage of the networking opportunities at the Atlantis resort where the CONCACAF congress is being held. One delegate, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters that he sensed many of his colleagues were “open” to hearing from all the candidates while another said he was opposed to Blatter and was looking forward to choosing from the alternatives. Swiss Blatter, 79, has been FIFA president since 1998.
