MR Lyndon Cooper, President of the St. Lucia Football Association (SLFA), was elected president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) when the organisation held its 48th Ordinary Congress at Royalton Hotel in Cap Estate, St. Lucia, on Sunday.
Mr Copper, who has served as vice president of the CFU Executive Committee since 2012, was unopposed and, therefore, elected by acclamation in accordance with the CFU statutes.

All positions on the Executive Committee were up for election, and all the candidates were unopposed. The officers are Vice Presidents Mr Michael Ricketts (Jamaica), Mr John Krishnadath (Suriname), Mr Jean Dartron (Guadeloupe), and Mr Ivan Rivera (Puerto Rico).
The members are Mr Glen Etienne (Dominica), Mrs Anya James (Bahamas), Mr Girdon Connor (Anguilla) and Mr Mark Wade (Bermuda).

Mr Cooper pledged to find consensus among the 31 members of the CFU and committed to continued collegiality with FIFA and the One Concacaf philosophy.
“We have—and will continue—to add value to the membership with our initiatives and by working with Concacaf, FIFA, and all our stakeholders. This spirit of continued collaboration will be one of the hallmarks of my leadership. I trust that you understand that by doing so, we are pooling our power rather than ceding it,” he said during his acceptance remarks.

He called for sustained harmony and for the membership to use football to unite across the English, Dutch, French, and Spanish-speaking union.
“As I accept this presidency, I charge all of us to use football as a tool to unite, dismantle barriers to development, and build bridges and alliances,” he said.
The outgoing president, Mr Randolph Harris, recapped his tenure during his address, recalling the tumult he inherited when he became acting president in 2017 and president in 2018 after being first elected to the Executive Committee as a member in 2016. He also noted the strides his administration made.

“We were intentional about making accountability, integrity, and transparency our watchwords, and we have been successful,” Mr Harris said. “I am proud of our work and the inroads that we have made, both in terms of reputation and advancing football in our region.”
Mr Harris included in the gains made by a rebranded CFU the rebuilding of bonds and trust with FIFA and Concacaf, the introduction of the U14 Challenge Series, the Next Generation Referee Course, the transition of the Club Shield from Concacaf to the CFU, and a myriad of capacity-building initiatives for the benefit of the membership.

Mr. Harris, who was elected by acclamation as member (Caribbean) on the FIFA Council one day earlier at Concacaf’s 40th Ordinary Congress at the same venue, also urged togetherness, with a singular focus on football.
“Remember that our strength is our unity, and our reason for being is football,” he said.

Mr Harris thanked the outgoing Executive Committee members, Mr Luis Hernandez (Cuba), Mr Rignaal Francisca (Curacao), Mr Richard Dijkhoff (Aruba), Mr Ruben Garcia (Dominican Republic), Ms Jeaninne Wong Loi Sing (Bonaire), and Ms Gwendolyn Salmon (Antigua and Barbuda).
In addition to the delegates, attendees included FIFA President Mr Gianni Infantino and Concacaf President Mr Victor Montagliani, who offered remarks.
Mr Infantino congratulated Mr Cooper, referencing his long commitment to football and track record of leadership. He also thanked Mr Harris for his continued stewardship.
He encouraged the CFU membership to continue making a difference through football.

“The World Cups that you win every year is exactly the smile of that girl and that boy who played on the football team,” Mr Infantino said.
Mr Montagliani thanked the outgoing president, hailing him a “distinctive leader in the region.” He welcomed Mr Cooper, saying, “I know you will do a tremendous job.”