Bridgetown (Barbados), Jan 25 (IANS): Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Associations of Football (CONCACAF) president Jeff Webb has praised the confederation’s new approach to inclusiveness, and said he is optimistic about the region’s future as it prepares to make a play for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking to CMC, Webb said the governance reforms instituted in recent years had ensured that all member nations were involved in decision-making, and now had a critical stake in the confederation’s future.

“We have spread and become inclusive. We now sit down with over 300 individuals who make up over 22 standing committees, so everything that comes before our executive committee has been approved by various standing committees, and has been debated and so forth. Member associations now have input,” Webb explained.

"I believe the inclusiveness of CONCACAF has definitely improved and (especially) the investment in governance from the statue regulations - the revisions we’re going through - have been significant.

"You look at the transformation from a financial standpoint, from an auditing standpoint, the Audit and Compliance Committee [has been instituted] … so I believe the level of transparency and the change that we so demanded and hoped for, is being manifested."

Webb, also a FIFA vice-president, has run the confederation since May, 2012, in the wake of the controversial cash-for-votes scandal, which resulted in the resignation of longstanding president Trinidadian Jack Warner.

CONCACAF’s success at last year’s World Cup in Brazil has also given Webb reason to believe the confederation is headed in the right direction.

“I definitely feel there is an upward swing. I definitely feel that the level of respect for CONCACAF has grown,” he pointed out.

“When you look and see that CONCACAF has qualified 61 per cent of the time for the Round of 16, tied for second with UEFA … that’s a great statistic for our confederation.”

Landing a prized FIFA World Cup remains the distinct goal of the confederation, however. It last hosted the global showpiece when US staged the 1994 edition, and is now targeting the 2026 event.

Russia is set host the 2018 World Cup with Qatar having won the bid to stage the 2022 event.