Referee Ken Pennyfeather and assistant referee Abigail McKenzie are amongst a list of 23 Caribbean match officials who made the 2023 FIFA international refereeing lists.
The duo joins assistant referees Iroots Appleton, Wasnah Barnarde, Nikesha Gage and Kevin Peters, who were all reappointed.
General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) Rohan Hector congratulated McKenzie, Pennyfeather, and the match officials who were reappointed.
“Abigail and Ken put in the work at the local and regional level over the years, and their commitment earned them their recent appointments. We are pleased to have six match officials on the FIFA list. We commend them all and encourage them to stay the course because the opportunities are there, and they all can go far,” Hector said.
He also noted the work of the ABFA Referee Department and the myriad of initiatives, advising current and prospective local referees to get onboard to master all the possibilities.
“We are just coming off a FIFA World Cup where there were three—and I could say just three—Caribbean match officials appointed to the Qatar games. Next year, for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we have two Caribbean assistant referees appointed. We know that the next Men’s World Cup in 2026 is in our region. An overarching Caribbean aim is to have greater representation at all levels, from teams to referees and all aspects in-between. I am saying to our match officials in Antigua and Barbuda, the chant ‘we got next’ includes us, and they must marry intentionality with their ability so that they can be considered for the big stage, and the many regional and confederation events between now and then,” Hector said.
Both McKenzie and Pennyfeather have officiated in the CFU U-14 Challenge Series and benefitted from the referee development training. Pennyfeather was also in the first cohort of the CFU Next Generation Course, which has an overarching aim to help Caribbean match officials matriculate to the next level.
Pennyfeather knew he was on the cusp at the end of last year when he earned a Concacaf badge and was appointed to matches in Nations League and the Dallas Cup. Now it feels good to meet the FIFA mark.
“It feels amazing. All my hard work and dedication paid off. In 2023 I want to do big things in refereeing, so now that I’m accepted on the FIFA list, the real work starts and I am super excited and humbled,” Pennyfeather said.
Presently, Pennyfeather, who has been honing his skills for almost six years, is the only FIFA center referee in Antigua and Barbuda. His intentions come as no surprise. “My ultimate goal in refereeing is to do a youth or senior World Cup, he said.
McKenzie, meanwhile, has been at it for four years—three years and 11 months to be exact, she notes. She made her regional debut at the CFU Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series in August, in the Dominican Republic.
“My aim is to become more sharp, focused and fit, because in this field of being a referee and, by extension, in other areas in life, you always have to seek improvement to become better at your skill,” McKenzie said.
As for her ultimate refereeing goal, the teacher at Irene B Williams Secondary School is no different from her peers.
“Like many of my refereeing colleagues, my aim is to perform at a World Cup, specifically a Women’s World Cup,” McKenzie said.