WHILE European and South American countries traditionally dominate men’s football globally, Jeffrey Webb, the head of the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), boasts that the region is the front-runner in the women’s game.

Webb said the United States college system, renowned for its excellent women’s programme, has “propelled football professionally” throughout this part of the world.

The US, Canada and Mexico women teams are the main beneficiaries and are among the strongest in the world.

“We have become the centre of women football globally, regarded as the best confederation globally,” Webb argued as he addressed the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange recently.

The CONCACAF president explained that the aim of his administration is to spread the strength amongst other regional countries, but said there have been obstacles to wide scale development.

“We want to spread the power in women’s football through development programmes. It starts with the coaches. We, as administrators, have to increase the numbers. We have to increase participation through the grass-roots programmes but there are challenges. There is a stigma and a lot of adults don’t necessarily want their girls playing football.”

The regional football boss was recently a guest at the launch of the FIFA/Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Women’s Coaching Course at the local body’s Technical Centre located on the University of the West Indies Mona Campus.

Meanwhile, Webb said focusing on the grass-roots stage is also crucial in youth development of men’s football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

“First and foremost… we have to start from the bottom [and go] up really. In the Caribbean, we are averaging with the kids starting from about nine year old. In Europe, they are starting at four years old. That’s a five-year gap.”

He added that FIFA, the world governing football body, is committed to enhancing youth football in confederations dominated by developing countries, indicated by numerous well-funded projects in CONCACAF and in CAF, the body in charge of the sport in Africa.

Teams in CONCACAF and CAF have also accounted for quite a few of the recent Under-17 World Cup titles.

“The third world [countries] have won more Under-17 World Cups than any other World Cup. So it shows we can compete up to the age of 15, 16 and 17 years old.”

But Webb reasoned that there is a shortfall thereafter, and emphasised that the onus is on the region’s federations and associations to “inspire kids to stay in the game and to commit to the game” to mirror the success seen in Europe, in particular.