
Dominican referees Jessica Pierre-Louis and Vernent Joseph are two of the 22 participants currently in Barbados for the CFU Next GEN course. This program is designed for Caribbean referees who are on track to transition to FIFA status within the next year or two and will run from January 17-19, 2025. Launched in 2022, the course aims to equip these officials with the skills needed to effectively manage higher-quality matches, setting them on the path to FIFA recognition.
It is being hosted by the Barbados Football Association (BFA).
According to information from www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Dave Meikle, a CFU Referee Committee member and Next Gen administrator, is supported by a team of instructors comprised of FIFA Fitness Refereeing Instructor and CFU Referee Committee Member Kelesha Antoine, FIFA Technical Instructor Dianne Ferreira-James, Instructor Victor Stewart, Concacaf Technical Instructor Ishan Philip, and Concacaf Fitness Instructor Rohan Thobourne.
FIFA match officials and World Cup candidates Odette Hamilton (Jamaica) and Crystal Sobers (Trinidad and Tobago) are mentors.
Over these three days, the match officials will undergo intense training on the field and in the classroom. The training then transfers online, with the instructors designing a bespoke programme for the cohort, monitoring their progress, and providing mentorship. Next Gen students may also receive appointments to competitions, such as the CFU Girls U-14 Challenge Series slated for the summer. The in-person programme continues at that time with more practical and technical training.
The members of the CFU Next Gen class of 2025—all center referees—are:
| # | NAME | MEMBER ASSOCIATION | ROLE | GENDER |
| 1 | Kevahn Hawley | Anguilla | Referee | Male |
| 2 | Shemroy Alie | Antigua and Barbuda | Referee | Male |
| 3 | Portia Davis | Antigua and Barbuda | Referee | Female |
| 4 | Kai Jacob | Barbados | Referee | Male |
| 5 | Darren Scantlebury | Barbados | Referee | Male |
| 6 | Guillaume Parkins | British Virgin Islands | Referee | Male |
| 7 | Steven Wellington | Cayman Islands | Referee | Male |
| 8 | Michaël Kirindongo | Curaçao | Referee | Male |
| 9 | Vernent Joseph | Dominica | Referee | Male |
| 10 | Jessica Pierre-Louis | Dominica | Referee | Female |
| 11 | Leon Hazzard | Grenada | Referee | Male |
| 12 | Jordan Chaibriant | Guadeloupe | Referee | Male |
| 13 | Sherwin Alli | Guyana | Referee | Male |
| 14 | Kesla Anderson | Jamaica | Referee | Male |
| 15 | Shaquaine Baugh | Jamaica | Referee | Male |
| 16 | Yusuf Saunders | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Referee | Male |
| 17 | Jody Walters | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Referee | Male |
| 18 | Mozakie King | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Referee | Male |
| 19 | Rodney Blinker | Suriname | Referee | Male |
| 20 | Rabia Blinker | Suriname | Referee | Female |
| 21 | Akil Weekes | Trinidad and Tobago | Referee | Male |
| 22 | N’neeka Harewood | Trinidad and Tobago | Referee | Female |
Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.
We will delete comments that:
See our full comment/user policy/agreement.