Webb to run unopposed for CONCACAF top job
(CNS): The president of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA), Jeff Webb is certain to become Jack Warner’s official successor as president of the sport’s governing body in North and Central America and the Caribbean. CONCACAF said Thursday that Webb was the only candidate nominated for the top job and he will run unopposed in the election which will take place in Budapest, Hungary, next month at the FIFA congress. Warner became CONCACAF's president in 1990 and quit last June 20 during a corruption investigation by FIFA. Webb will now finish out that term.
Warner and Asian soccer head Mohamed bin Hammam were suspended by FIFA the previous month after they were accused of offering $40,000 cash payments to Caribbean voters during bin Hammam's failed campaign to unseat FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
47-year-old Webb will now fill the final three years of the four-year term Warner was elected to last May and he said recently that he would build on the unity of the regional football association.
“I am humbled by the tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement received from so many of the member countries,” he said in a release from CIFA last weekend. “It is this unity of the CONCACAF that will champion our success, and if elected, it is my intention to build on that unity through collaboration, transparency, integrity, engagement, and accountability.”
Webb has over twenty years in leadership positions in football, as president of the CIFA, FIFA Executive Committee (observer), chairman of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Normalisation Committee, member of the FIFA Transparency and Compliance Committee, deputy chairman of the FIFA Internal Audit Committee, and chairman of the CONCACAF Youth Committee.
Category: Sports
Brazil here I come. Set me up with some good tickets Jeff.
Whoever thinks that any appointments in FIFA have acutally anything to do with accomplishment is fool!
I am just confused how somebody can be voted to represent an entire region when the football and the national team of the home country is in such a sad state.
It makes me wonder how the region will be represented if he didn't manage to elevate his own national team.
But whatever!
This is precisely the question that is being asked by people on the football forums and blogs around the world who know of Cayman's football status.
Atleast, here on CNS you are getting honest views and opinions on both sides of the issue.
The Compass is totally stonewalling and refusing to publish any comments questioning Webb's handling of Cayman's football and the David Frederick situation.
Makes you wanna say, "hmmmnnnnnn, doesn't it ?
I think a lot of the comments posted are more a reflection on the sad state of world soccer rather on than Mr Webb himself.
It seems that as long as the saga of Sepp Bletter's corruption-plagued leadership of FIFA continues anyone associated with the sport at international level is automatically, and mostly wrongly, being tarred with the same brush.
Give Jeff a chance to prove himself.
Jack Warner is still running the show! Webb is just his front man! Just think of this!! With all the well known coaches and others with years of experience dealing with professional teams in Latin america and the Caribbean, "OUR MAN" runs unopposed? Please don't insult our intelligence! "JACK WARNER IS STILL THE MAN"…
These posts have convinced me of something I’ve suspected for a long time: there’s only one thing that enrages us Caymanians more than a Caymanian not getting an opportunity he or she deserves, and that’s a Caymanian getting one and making a success of it.
Congratulations to Jeff Webb. Let's support him and stop the back biting. He has done well
over the years consider the oppositions and haters he faced. If God be for you, who can be against you.?
FIFA is part of Marfia ! Infested with serious crimes.
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) is the governing body for soccer (football) in the region, and one of six continental authorities that administer the game along with FIFA, the world governing body.
I am astonished at some of the posts here…this is why we Caymanians can and will get nowhere. Tearing each other down then we blame the foreigners or Dart! Come on Cayman- countries all over the world was trying to get their man there and we did.
This is a position and stature that no Caymanian has ever held in a sport before and I for one would like to congratulate Jeff Webb for rising to this position.
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Why is everyone against him? Fill me in someone.
Everyone isn't against him.
Football is the world's biggest sport and no football country exists in isolation; in that context, Webb has always had questions hanging over his head regarding the state of the local game…and these questions are asked within the global football community, not just the local football community.
This is nothing new and now that he has risen to the top of FIFA's political structure, those questions will be asked even more.
Not because he has become one of the football's top administrators from a little place like Cayman, with absolutely no legitimate football to speak of, means that the football community should not question his rise to power.
The question remains…in the context of having failed to improve in any way, shape or form, the Cayman Islands as a football country, on what basis does he qualify to head up the game in the CONCACAF region ?
That is a legitimate question that the world's entire foootball community has a right to ask and in some quarters, is asking.
One minute you all want Caymanians to succeed and when one does all you Caymanians Donkeys can do is put a Caymanian Down.
Mr. Webb Congrats on your new post, we as Caymanians should be extremely honored to have one of our own in the position you have achieved in the football world, this is only great press for us here in Cayman.
If you think that this is just all about 'succeeding' then think again.
How one succeeds is just as important, or else laws and rules and principles could easily be ignored and by-passed in the name of success.
This is something that Webb's supporters in Cayman will never understand or accept.
And the question marks surrounding the manner of Webb's success will not ever go away.
And, another legitimate question that they refuse to answer is….
How has Webb's success benefitted Cayman's football in any way ?
When was the last time we saw Jeff put on shoes and kick ball with the Caymanian children? When was the last time he gave a motivational speech at a school?
When was the last time the President of anything did that??
Come on jealous folks…support your own. Next second you will hear Dart is to blame. Support your fellow Caymanians and you will not have to worry about the Darts or the CHECs of the world. We are our own worst enemies. crab mentality. NIMBY Crabs at that!
I want to see Jeff Webb care more for CIFA.
Miguel is right. Let there be no mistake about this: Jeff Webb has just attained the highest, most prestigious post on the world stage that any Caymanian has EVER achieved, in the teeth of opposition from some formidable opponents. And it’s not just in Caribbean football, it’s in world football. So not just Caymanians, but everyone who lives here and cares about the sport, should be ecstatic. It’s a fantastic achievement, one which football administrators around the world would give their eye-teeth for.
Remind us again who he is running against? And who was his mentor?
Jeff Oponents were the Canadians, the Nortt Americans, the Mexicans and the central americans. Can you see the magnitude of this post ?
This is not going to end well.
Congratulations Mr. Webb. Cayman should be very proud to have one of our own holding the top position in Caribbean football. Also, this shows that people of integrity can truly rise the ranks.
Congratulations Jeff! Very proud of you!
I would be very happy for Jeff's election.. With all the saga surrounding Jack Warner and the presidents of the various football associations in the region, Cayman Islands Football Association was clean and clear. That would be a great day for Cayman Islands football.
Does the name David Frederick mean anything to you?
Cayman (CIFA) was clean and clear ?
I guess David Frederick was not (under suspicion) and Jeffrey Webb (CIFA) did not immediately retire him from all football activities, then ?
This must have been some fantasy news report that the world's football public read about.
Plleeaassseee…support your man all you wish but don't take the rest of us for fools !
Did Mr. Webb make any statement or did he call a press conference when his man Mr.David Frederick had to resign from his post? Did he decry the arrogance of Mr Jack Warner when he made disparaging remarks to reporters and others who were just seeking the truth about what had happened that caused Mr. Warner and Mr. Frederick to resign. If FIFA was interested in eliminating corruption from within their ranks they would have at a minimum brought these people before the Governing board and told the world why they had to resign. It will never happen!! Every official in FIFA belongs to the same "BROTHERHOOD" they cant say anything. Too bad!! This should have been a wonderful thing for football, and for Cayman in particular, but sadly the cloud of suspicion still remains!
Big Congratulations Jeff!!! You make all of us Caymanians and especially us old ballers that share your passion and spirit for the sport very very proud!
Typical FIFA/Communist election, everybody gets to vote but there is only one candidate.
Congratulations Jeff .This is the greatest achivement any Caymanian ever had in history.
For once we are mentioned for someting positive instead of being mentioned for negative reasons, even Obama spoke bad about us to the extend that we were mentioned as being part of the resent financial market crash.
I am happy for Jeff, and his sucess will be good for Cayman. I think he has matured and the lesson from Warner will not be lost on him. Jeff knows that all of us know him and he will do what will make us proud.