KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) yesterday announced the opening of a new office at the Courtleigh Corporate Centre in Kingston, as part of its effort to accelerate football development throughout the region.

According to CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, “Opening the new office in the Caribbean represents a major step towards our ONE CONCACAF Vision. It reaffirms our focus on serving all 41 Member Associations, while investing in football”.

He added that “this new location strengthens the Confederation’s ability to operate efficiently and in a fully integrated way, in order to continue driving long-term growth across the region.”

“In 2017, CONCACAF is expected to triple its investment in Caribbean competitions as compared to previous years. Additionally, in order to boost development efforts in this zone, nearly 80 per cent of the ONE CONCACAF financial assistance program is allocated to Member Associations from the Caribbean. Through this new office, the Confederation aims at ensuring that the investment is effective, efficient and focused,” a release from the football group stated.

It added that Jamaica’s “strategic location” will help streamline the operations of regional competitions, while facilitating engagement with key stakeholders; including federations, partners, government and fans.  

CONCACAF Caribbean Football Director, Horace Reid, one of the region’s most accomplished administrators, will head the office. In his previous role with CONCACAF, Reid led competition-related aspects of Confederation tournaments, including the Gold Cup, the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League and multiple age-group events.

Operations at the Kingston office will begin in March and with headquarters in Miami, Florida, as well as an office in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the Confederation said they will continue to serve member nations and promote football development throughout the region.