George Town (Cayman Islands), Nov 1 (IANS/CMC): World football governing body, FIFA, boss Sepp Blatter has praised CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb for taking bold steps to reform the confederation, and says the association is now poised to become a potent force in world football.
Speaking here at the inaugural Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Sports Summit, Blatter said Thursday that Webb had played a pivotal role in reshaping a confederation in need of fresh leadership, reports CMC.
"I have to congratulate this president and CONCACAF, and the national associations of CONCACAF for what they have done in 2012 because they have changed the leadership and it was time to change the leadership," he told journalists.
"Where I can congratulate you is with the Integrity Committee you have put together and this Integrity Committee Report on transparency which has been shown to the whole world. This is a wonderful achievement. It is open minded and represents total transparency."
Webb was last year elected unopposed to the powerful position of CONCACAF president in the wake of the cash-for-votes scandal which rocked the Caribbean in 2011.
The controversy led to the resignation of long serving CONCACAF president and powerful FIFA vice-president, Trinidadian Jack Warner and left a vacuum in the leadership of the confederation.
Since Webb's election to the top post, he has instituted several measures to deal with corruption and to ensure transparency in an attempt to rebuild the confederation's image.
While pleased with the initiatives, Blatter urged Webb to consolidate CONCACAF's presence in world football.
"But this is not enough. Now you have taken over the helm and you are at the top of CONCACAF, it is now up to you to make sure that CONCACAF is a very important partner in the context of the vote," said Blatter, who has led FIFA since 1998.
"We have 209 associations and you have 41 so it is a power, it is also a political power - a sports political power."
Webb is also a FIFA vice-president and executive committee member and chairs the organisation's recently established Anti-Racism Task Force.