Francois gets further elevation

Local football referees’ assessor Clemroy “Bert” Francois is moving up the referee ladder, as he is in training for such a post at the wider CONCACAF level.{{more}}

Francois is part of a referees’ assessors’ team making observations of the referees during the CONCACAF Under-17 football finals, taking place in Panama.

The finals began last Saturday and end April 19.

Francois, who has had stints as an assessor at the Caribbean level, expressed to SEARCHLIGHT his delight at being on the cusp of elevation to a more prestigious status.

And, as precursor to his Central American sojourn, Francois was part of continuous regional training for assessors, last week in Antigua.

A FIFA accredited assistant referee from 1996 to 2009, Francois has officiated in many Caribbean tournaments at all levels, as well as CONCACAF world cup qualifiers.

Francois lists as his stand-out achievements: his call-up to do the championship match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup finals in 2000, in the USA, between Canada and Colombia and his role as assistant referee #2 in the CONCACAF Olympic match between host USA and Honduras, that same year.

He underlined as another red letter occasion his duties at the Panam Games finals in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1999. Francois was also part of the assistant referees’ panel to the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Francois and others will be part of Panama’s hosting of the CONCACAF Cup for the first time and it is also the first time the competition is being staged in Central America, since El Salvador did so in 1994.

Twelve teams are contesting the CONCACAF finals. Drawn in Group A are host Panama, Barbados and Jamaica, with Canada, Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago stashed in Group B.

Group C comprises United States of America, Guatemala and Haiti and in Group D are Cuba, Mexico and Honduras.

The two top teams from each group will advance to the quarter—finals. The winners will qualify for the 2013 FIFA finals, set for the United Arab Emirates from October 17 to November 8.(RT)