OFC Professional League Club Licensing Committee

The OFC Professional League Club Licencing Committee was established on the 13th of June as a wholly independent body to ensure objectivity, transparency, accountability and fairness throughout the assessment process.

The committee was assisted by the outstanding work done by the operational staff and advisors of the OFC, who were highly professional and instrumental in the committee’s work.

Article 6 of the OFC Professional League Club Licencing Regulations states that the Club Licencing Committee is responsile for the following:

– evaluating the overall compliance of clubs with licencing requirements.
– making recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee on whether a licence should be granted or withdrawn.
– recommending sanctions for breaches of the regulation.

The independent committee is comprised of 5 members:

Earl Cochrane: Earl COCHRANE is a Canadian national and sports strategy advisor. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kinova Consulting & Solutions, a sports and entertainment consulting firm incorporated in Canada.

Noel Mooney: Noel MOONEY is an Irish sports official currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), board member, and secretary of the Football Association of Wales (FAW). He is also a member of the United Kingdom and Ireland 2028 Board for the UEFA Euro 2028 championships, UEFA National Associations Committee, and International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Mauro Barsi: Mauro BARSI is a New Zealand-based legal consultant and executive leader with over two decades of experience in law, governance, and strategic leadership.

Nilesh Sharma: Nilesh SHARMA is an Indian lawyer currently serving as the principal partner of the Fiji-based law firm Nilesh Sharma Lawyers.

Charles Handler: Charles HANDLER is an Australian based lawyer currently serving as a legal counsel and member protection officer for Football Victoria.

Each member is a vastly experienced professional from across the football industry, each bringing unique expertise in areas such as club licencing, governance, sports administration, financial management, legal compliance, integrity and security, and safeguarding.