Guyanese referee Colin Abel has been selected as a match official for the prestigious Concacaf Futsal Championship slated for April 13-20 in Managua, Nicaragua.
Abel, who earned his spot on the FIFA Referee list for Futsal for the second time this year, said he was honoured to officiate at the competition, which serves as the Confederation’s qualifying event for the FIFA Futsal World Cup in September in Uzbekistan.
“I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive such an appointment. I am excited to represent myself and my country at such a prestigious event and I look forward to gaining as much knowledge and experience and also interacting with my fellow colleagues from Concacaf”.
Abel and other referees will be overseeing matches within Group A, featuring Costa Rica, Mexico, Suriname, and Haiti.
Group B will see action from Panama, Cuba, Canada, and Nicaragua, while Group C will include Guatemala, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic.
After the round-robin stage, the teams topping their groups, along with the runners-up and the two highest-ranked third-placed teams, will progress to the knockout phase.
Qualification for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024 will be reserved for the top four finishers. Costa Rica enters the tournament as the champions, having secured their fourth Concacaf Futsal Championship title in Guatemala back in 2021.
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Referees Department is confident in Abel’s capability to represent Guyana with distinction at the championship, highlighting that his selection confirms his status as an exceptional talent.
“The GFF continues to place high emphasis on training and nurturing match officials, with the goal of elevating football standards in Guyana. Our nationwide recruitment drive is aimed at strengthening the pool of proficient referees countrywide, equipping them with the requisite expertise for effective match officiating.”
