MIAMI: Larry Mussenden has endorsed FIFA’s pledge to invest monies reclaimed from the FIFAGate conspirators into football development into central and north American football.

The world federation has lodged a formal claim with the US courts for restitution against many of the 42 on trial for siphoning commercial revenues into bribes and kickbacks.

Mussenden, head of the Bermuda Football Association and chairman of the FIFA appeal committee, is one of two candidates for the presidency of CONCACAF whose members vote for a new leader in May 12 in Mexico City on the eve of FIFA Congress.

He is up against Victor Montagliani, the Canada Soccer Association president.

Mussenden’s cash claim will go down well with the Caribbean island states who make up the bulk of CONCACAF’s membership.

He not only wants to see a “significant share of the $190million seized by the US Department of Justice” but has promised to begin legal proceedings to recover the Centre of Excellence in Trinidad and Tobago, which was built by Jack Warner and forms part of the corruption allegations against the disgraced former CONCACAF president.

On the field Mussenden has pledged to work towards the creation of a Caribbean Professional League, and the strengthening of all domestic professional leagues across the region. On the international stage he wants to see a fairer qualifying process for top tournaments, and a time when every member of CONCACAF is a full voting member of Fifa.

French Guiana for example, who Bermuda play on June 1 in the second round of the Caribbean Cup are not members of the world governing body because they are considered to be part of France.

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