Guyanese among referees being developed during CFU Challenge Series

Forty-six up-and-coming referees and five assessors and instructors in training are undergoing intense theoretical and practical education during the 2024 CFU Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series, underway in Trinidad and Tobago. Current FIFA match officials serve as mentors to the rookies.
The list includes Mijensa Rensch of Suriname is included on the list. She is one of two assistant referees from the Caribbean appointed to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She officiated in the final as the fifth official.
Guyanese Keneisha Prescott is among the 46 officials being trained. The referee training forms part of the overall developmental agenda of the Challenge Series. Specifically, it is a continuation of the CFU Next Generation Course initiative, which trains referees for the world stage.
The match officials began intense training that comprised pitch and classroom sessions on August 12, ahead of the kickoff of the competition on August 16.
The administrators held the tournament ceremony on August 15, with Next Gen Administrator and CFU Referee Committee Member Dave Meikle reminding the match officials of the visibility the Challenge Series affords them. He urged them to work hard to seize the opportunity. “We want you to invest in the tournament with your time and with your zeal to learn and improve,” Meikle said.
He asked the match officials to retain all that they learned in the preceding days, and added, “You will now have to show that on the pitch.”
Mark Cahen, Manager of Refereeing Concacaf, encouraged the match officials to set short-term goals that would lead them to their overarching goal of officiating in world games. He reminded them that the task was difficult, and asked them to grow through their mistakes, as errors are inevitable.
“Let’s embrace professionalism, learn from our mistakes, and effectively manage the pressure. Together we all can elevate the standards of officiating and continue to inspire the next generation of referees,” he said.
Besides match officials, the programme trains referee instructors and assessors with the overarching aim of having a Caribbean panel of match officials at all world games. Since inception, 17 Next Gen match officials have earned their FIFA badges.
The Next Gen staple facilitators are Meikle, FIFA Referee Fitness Instructor Kelesha Antoine, who is also a member of the CFU Referees Committee, FIFA Technical Instructor Dianne Ferreira-James, and Concacaf Fitness Instructor Rohan Thobourne.
Each edition of the programme includes present and former FIFA match officials in varying capacities, including as assessors and mentors.
The candidates for the 2024 Challenge Series included some new and returning members from 24 countries. The merit-based programme is open to match officials from all 31 of the CFU Member Associations. They must be between 20 and 30 years old, and have the prerequisite skills to matriculate to the FIFA ranks.
About the CFU Next Generation Referee Course Piloted in 2021 and officially launched in 2022, Next Gen hues to the capacity-building pillar of the CFU’s Strategic Framework 2.0.
The Next Generation Referee Course, with an academy type setting, represents a significant step forward in developing the Caribbean’s future match officials. It exemplifies, in every way, the efforts to see Caribbean referees grace the world’s biggest stages.
With the emphasis on development, Next Gen is driven by a comprehensive syllabus, delivered by Caribbean instructors and administered in a conducive learning environment.
Next Gen is designed to equip match officials with the tools, education and resources to meet the demands of modern refereeing and to ensure that Caribbean Member Associations produce world-class officials.
The programme comprises in-person and online tutoring.