Five officials from the English-speaking Caribbean have been selected among the 45 match officials to oversee the inaugural CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, scheduled from February 17 to March 10 in the United States.
Among them are three Jamaican referees – Odette Hamilton, Daneon Parchment – and assistant referee Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing, along with two Trinidadians, assistant referee Carissa Douglas-Jacob and referee Crystal Sobers.
The appointment of these officials, particularly the Jamaicans, is seen as significant by Cardella Samuels, Head of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Referees department. Samuels praised the consistency and hard work of the Jamaican officials, attributing their selection to their dedication and preparation facilitated by the JFF referees program.
The premier competition for women’s national teams
The Women’s Gold Cup, positioned as the premier competition for women’s national teams, will feature teams from across the Caribbean, including Guyana, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. Preliminary matches will be held on February 17, with the winning teams advancing to join prominent nations like the United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Canada in the group stage from February 20 to 28.
The tournament will culminate with the quarter-final round on March 2 and 3, followed by the semi-finals and final on March 6 and 10, respectively. The selection of these officials underscores the growing prominence and recognition of Caribbean representation in international football officiating.
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