Warner: Exciting Times For CONCACAF
by Shaun Fuentes (TTFF Media via soccer365.com)
CONCACAF President Jack Warner will travel to Guyana next month to launch the Digicel Kick Start clinic on January 5 which will see several countries in the Caribbean benefiting from a coaching clinics across the region next year.
Warner said on the weekend that the venture was arranged in collaboration with Digicel which will see the various associations participating in workshops to develop the game.
The FIFA Vice President,, off this week to the FIFA Club Championship in Tokyo , was in an upbeat mood over the strengthening of ties among the various associations in CONCACAF as it related to the development in different aspects of the game from technical to administrative.
“I think what we are seeing know is a sharing of knowledge and experiences. For instance the United States will host a course for national team managers in January. It’s a very high level course and they are paying for the countries to attend with accommodation and travel as well included. I think this augers well for the future,” Warner said.
“It shows that big brother can lend a hand to smaller brother . It shows that one can bring up others to one level and this is what the US is doing. Mexico is doing the same thing in Central America and Trinidad and Jamaica are doing the same thing in the Caribbean and it’s by this sharing it can be win- win for al of us so I think these are exciting times for the CONCACAF,” he added. Warner also revealed that FIFA has approved a budget of US$14 million for a referees assistant program to come on stream in early 2008 from which CONCACAF will benefit.
The Special Advisor also commented on the possible semi-final groups as well as the fact that T&T’s next international will be played around the Carnival period.
“I can tell you about the Jamaica group that any two teams that qualify from that group will have almost a sure foot into South Africa . That is the group of death as far as I am concerned and any team coming out of it will have to be at a high level.”
“Most definitely it’s case where we have no fears about having our team together around Carnival. The only difference is this time around this is a friendly as compared to last time being a qualifier against the US . We however will be taking every single game as if it’s a qualifying match and this will be an extremely serious affair, I believe our players are so mature that they will not allow a fete or moment of excitement to tarnish their career or the country’s reputation.
