President of the Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) Inc., Lyndon Cooper, on Wednesday addressed a CONCACAF Club Licensing Workshop at the La Clery headquarters, announcing sweeping changes to the island’s football programme that will redefine how the sport is managed and viewed in Saint Lucia.
The workshop, attended by local club and league representatives along with CONCACAF officials Leanne Lopez and Amara Felix-Toussaint, focused on the latest club licensing regulations under CONCACAF’s Men’s Club Licensing Project. Cooper used the occasion to issue a stern warning: failure to comply with these regulations could see Saint Lucian clubs excluded from SLFA and FIFA-sanctioned competitions.
“This is a CONCACAF workshop, not an SLFA activity,” Cooper emphasized, reminding participants that decisions made regionally and internationally apply equally to small nations like Saint Lucia, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Club licensing is a must in order for us to enhance the sport of football in this country and in the region,” Cooper said.
He stressed that domestic football can no longer operate on an ad hoc or semi-professional basis but must align with the professional standards of top global leagues.
“The reality is, we must professionalize football if we want to compete regionally and internationally. There is no exception. Size is not a deficiency or an asset for anyone,” Cooper declared.
Cooper further warned that clubs must meet licensing criteria before the start of the domestic league season or risk exclusion.
“You have a key responsibility to comply with the registration process. When 2025 ends, there will be no access to the system. Nobody is going to rescue you. It will be impossible to participate,” he cautioned.
Calling the workshop “key and very important in the ecosystem of football,” Cooper urged delegates to abandon the notion of catching up later. “There is no catching up,” he said, underscoring that deadlines and regulations are non-negotiable.
The workshop marked the beginning of Saint Lucia’s transition toward a fully professional football structure, aligning local clubs with CONCACAF’s global standards.