Former Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Larry Mussenden yesterday departed for South Africa where he will represent the Island in his capacity as the chairman of the FIFA appeals committee.

Serving as an FIFA administrator in the Rainbow Nation will complete a hat-trick of World Cups for Mussenden who was previously a member of the disciplinary committee at the Copa Mundials in Japan and South Korea in 2002, and in Germany in 2006.

BFA secretary David Sabir who has served on the stadium and security committee for a number of years will join the ex-Attorney General in South Africa.

Although Bermuda may well be a dwarf among giants in the world of football, Mussenden said at least their sporting administrators were punching above their weight.

"It's an honour for a small country like Bermuda to have someone sitting on this committee," said Mussenden, who will be based at FIFA's headquarters in Johannesburg and will attend a number of matches.

"Actually there a number of people from Bermuda who sit on international sports bodies – we do pretty well in Bermuda.

"After you have volunteered your services to the relevant committees the people at FIFA and Concacaf recognise whatever skills you may have in your own profession."

Mussenden's role is to simply apply the laws of the game to any appeals that come from decisions made the disciplinary committee during the World Cup.

He said his committee, which consists of 20 members from countries around the world, would rely on the match officials' reports and any other available evidence including video footage.

"If there's an appeal from the disciplinary committee it will be my job to deal with them," said Mussenden, who was appointed as the chairman of the appeals committee in 2007.

When he is not dealing with football issues on the world stage Mussenden – who served for seven years as the BFA president – still closely monitors the running of the local game.

Largely credited for securing the $15 million five-year grant from Government in 2007, he has been dismayed to see the BFA's annual $3 million grant slashed to just $1 million as part of a recession-busting budget.

He fears not enough is being done by the BFA to maintain that level of finance by investigating other avenues of funding.

"I'm sure what the BFA wants to do has been curtailed (by the budget cuts)," he said. "When you have $1.5 million taken out of that $3 million one year, and $2 million taken out the next, that has to seriously impact on their ability to do what they want.

"But I encourage the executive to raise money and to try and maintain that level of funding, there has to be a constant effort. One of the ways to do that is for there to be constant promotion of the game at all levels."

While the colourful and outspoken Mussenden relished the media spotlight during his presidency, his successor Calderon has adopted a far more low-key style of leadership.

It is an approach Mussenden believes could hinder the BFA's attempts to attract more funding from both Government and the private sector in the future.

"When I was the president, along with the executive, we used to go out and try and send our message of what football was doing to the community so people we're informed," said Mussenden.

"Different people have different styles but what I have noted is that the BFA are not in the media as much telling the community, sponsors and Government what they're doing.

"I do feel they have a responsibility to create an environment where people know what's going on in football all the time.

"If you do that you get financial support a lot easier. You can have all the technical brains and plans in the world, but if you don't share them with people and bring them along, the road can be a bit more difficult.

"But I give my support to the executive wholeheartedly to get on with the business of football. I send them my best wishes all the time, I know what it's like."

When asked if he would like to run again for the BFA presidency, Mussenden kept his cards close to his chest.

"The clubs have chosen the president and the executive that they have," he said.