TCIFA’s Coach Shavar Thomas And Player Jepthe Francois Invited To MLS Caribbean Combine
The MLS Caribbean Combines is an annual showcase of Caribbean Football talent organized jointly by Major League Soccer (MLS) and Concacaf. The combine provides an opportunity to players of all thirty-one Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Member Associations to be observed by MLS Teams with a view for submission in the Annual MLS Superdraft with the ultimate objective of being contracted to play professionally in the MLS. This agreement seeks to promote football development by bridging the gap between talent availability and scouting opportunities throughout the Caribbean region. This year, the event was hosted in Kingston, Jamaica, consisting of three days of training sessions and games overseen by selected coaches and watched by representatives of all twenty-six clubs in the MLS.
Jepthe Francois, for the second time around, was one of the few players nominated by the Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association. He was then selected by Concacaf to participate in this year’s combine. The twenty-year-old Central Defender, plays on the Academy Jaguars team in the local Men’s Provo Premier League, and is also a Men’s National Football and Beach Soccer Team player for the Turks and Caicos Islands. He scored his first international goal against St. Vincent & The Grenadines on November 18, 2018 in a 3-2 victory during the Concacaf Nations League Qualifying stage.
Shavar Thomas, TCIFA’s Assistant Coach of the Men’s National Football Team and who played professionally in the MLS for close to a decade, was specifically requested by Concacaf to participate as one of the coaches in the Caribbean Combine . “I am truly honored to have been chosen as one of the coaches at this MLS Caribbean Combine. This is my second year being a coach at the combine and it speaks volumes that the league office trusts my expertise and insight to spot young talent in our region that will make the transition to become professionals.”
Sonia Fulford, the President of the TCIFA reflected that she “welcomed this initiative which speaks to the obvious talent that is present in our region. The Caribbean is the new ground for professional players and this is a fantastic opportunity for Jepthe to showcase his talent. The selection of Coach Thomas also speaks to the quality of the members of the Technical Department at the TCIFA and the fact that others too equally recognize their ability”.
