CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio travelled to Aruba on Monday to discuss Arubaanse Voetbal Bond (AVB) plans to further develop the game.
During the two-day trip, Moggio met with Richard Dijkhoff, AVB President; Mike Eman, Aruba Prime Minister; and, Dr. Carlos Alex Schwengle, Minister of Public Health, Elderly Care and Sports. His visit also included meetings with members of the Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
“I want to congratulate President Dijkhoff on AVB’s progress to develop the sport,” said Moggio. “We will continue supporting the association in fulfilling its goals as the country has significant potential to spur further growth in the Caribbean across all areas of the game, including women’s football and beach soccer.”
The discussions were focused on beach soccer and women’s football development, as well as expanding collaboration on initiatives to increase the country’s capacity to host competitions, while promoting tourism and economic development.
AVB President Richard Dijkhoff stated: “It was an honor for us to host CONCACAF in Aruba. With their support and trust we will be able to continue developing soccer on the different platforms, such as beach soccer, and pushing forward to further expand and strengthen the women's football segment. We look forward to working together in developing plans and programs that will be of great benefit to the growth of soccer on the island, and the region."
Women’s football and beach soccer are areas of great importance to CONCACAF, especially with the Bahamas Football Association hosting the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The competition marks an important landmark as the Bahamas will become the first country in the Caribbean to host a senior FIFA tournament.
In 2014, FIFA conducted the U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups in Costa Rica and Canada, respectively. In addition, the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 drew more than 1.35 million fans, setting a new total attendance record for a FIFA competition other than the World Cup.
