Jamaica national football team

Jamaica
Nickname(s) Reggae Boyz
Association Jamaica Football Federation
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation CFU (Caribbean)
Head coach Theodore Whitmore
Captain Andre Blake
Most caps Ian Goodison (128)
Top scorer Luton Shelton (35)
Home stadium Independence Park
FIFA code JAM
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 53 Increase 1 (20 September 2018)
Highest 27 (August 1998)
Lowest 116 (October 2008)
Elo ranking
Current 67 (6 September 2018)
Highest 36 (February 1998)
Lowest 146 (May 1984)
First international
 Haiti 1–2 Jamaica Jamaica
(Haiti; 22 March 1925)
Biggest win
Jamaica Jamaica 12–0 British Virgin Islands 
(Grand Cayman, Cayman Isls.; 4 March 1994)
Jamaica Jamaica 12–0 Saint Martin 
(Kingston, Jamaica; 24 November 2004)
Biggest defeat
 Costa Rica 9–0 Jamaica Jamaica
(San José, Costa Rica; 24 February 1999)
World Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 1998)
Best result Group stage, 1998
CONCACAF Championship
& Gold Cup
Appearances 11 (first in 1963)
Best result Runners-up, 2015 and 2017
Copa América
Appearances 2 (first in 2015)
Best result Group Stage, 2015 and 2016

The Jamaica national football team is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), the governing body for football in Jamaica. A member of CFU and CONCACAF, Jamaica has won the Caribbean Cup six times, with their latest win being the 2014 Caribbean Cup when they beat Trinidad and Tobago in the final. Jamaica finished as the runner-up in the 2015 and 2017 editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which was their best performance in the competition; losing to Mexico and USA.

Jamaica qualified once for the FIFA World Cup, in 1998. It is, along with the United States, Honduras, Canada and Costa Rica, one of the rare teams from the CONCACAF region to draw against Mexico in the Estadio Azteca in a World Cup qualifier match.[1]

History

Early 20th century

Jamaica's first international appearance was against their Caribbean neighbours Haiti in 1925. They were invited to the French-speaking Caribbean island by Andre Chevalon, president of the United Sporting Society and it was for a three-match series between the 2 countries. Jamaica won all three games by 1–0, 2–1 and 3–0. The following year Jamaica hosted Haiti at Sabina Park and won by 6–0. Haiti remained frequent opponents and it was not until 1932 that their run of defeats was broken with a 4–1 home win in Port-au-Prince.[2]

Between 1925 and when Jamaica gained its independence in 1962, Jamaica had regular games with Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Cuba and clubs like Racing and Violette from Haiti, Corinthians of Britain, Tigres from Argentina, and even a series of matches with a Caribbean All Stars team in 1952. The Caribbean All Star team included such notables as Michael (The Ruin) Kruin from Suriname and also representing Jamaica were Lindy Delapenha and Gillie Heron. The four games were shared equally with Jamaica winning the second 2–1 and the fourth 1–0 and the All Stars winning the first 5–1 and the third 1–0.

Those friendly international games were the start of Jamaica's football journey with most of the home matches being played at Sabina Park. Many clubs were established during this time including Kensington, Melbourne, Kingston, Lucas and St. George's Old Boys, thus providing the talent Jamaica needed at the times.

Post independence (1962)

In 1965, under the leadership of Brazilian coach Jorge Penna, Jamaica made its first attempt at World Cup qualifying. This was for the 1966 World Cup finals in England. The preliminary group included Cuba and the Netherlands Antilles. Jamaica's first game was against Cuba which they won 2–0 at Jamaica's National Stadium. In the qualifying match against the Netherlands Antilles, Jamaica also had a 2–0 victory with both goals coming.

In the away games Jamaica was held to a goalless draw with the Netherlands Antilles and suffered an unexpected 2–1 defeat to Cuba. Jamaica then advanced to the final group of 3 which included Costa Rica and Mexico. The winner in this group would represent the CONCACAF region. Jamaica lost at home to Mexico 3–2 and in the return leg in Mexico City, the high altitude proved too much for the Jamaicans and they were defeated 8–0.

1970s

In 1968, coach George Hamilton took leadership as Jamaica made an attempt to qualify for the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico. Jamaica had only a couple remaining players from the previous World Cup team and had to rebuild because most of the players had retired or migrated to North America and England.

Jamaica lost all of their qualifying games in that year. Jamaica's participation in the 1973 CONCACAF Championship qualification elimination saw the suspension of 17 players on the team because of poor behaviour on a tour to Bermuda. Jamaica withdrew from the elimination to restructure their team. For the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Jamaica was eliminated by Cuba after two losses (3–1 at the National Stadium and then 2–0 in Havana).

1980s

Jamaica did not participate in the qualifyings for the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, in the former due to insufficient funds and a poorly prepared team, and the later because the team was suspended for affiliation fees that were due to FIFA.

1990s

For the 1989 CONCACAF Championship qualification qualifying with coach Geoffrey Maxwell, Jamaica won both preliminary games against Puerto Rico 1–0 in Jamaica and 2–0 at Puerto Rico. In the next round, the United States were their next opponents and the first leg was a goalless draw. Jamaica lost the return leg in the US 5–1, ending their qualifying attempt.

In qualification for the 1994 World Cup, Jamaica first beat Puerto Rico 2–1 and was then was put in a group with Bermuda, Canada, and El Salvador, from which two teams would advance to the final round. Jamaica tied 1–1 with Canada and Bermuda and then lost 2–0 to El Salvador, 1–0 to Canada, 2–1 to El Salvador. Jamaica then beat Bermuda 3–2 but did not qualify.

In 1994, Brazilian manager René Simões was hired, along with National coach Carl Brown, with the goal of qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Simões searched for players – discovering some working at hotels, British players of Jamaican descent, and Jamaicans who played in English clubs – and funding. The Jamaican team became a "Powerhouse" in the Caribbean region and received "Best Mover" award by FIFA in 1996. Jamaica made history in 1997 becoming the first English-speaking Caribbean country to qualify for a World Cup.[3]

1998

In the 1998 World Cup, Jamaica ended up in Group H, along with Argentina, Croatia, and Japan. Their first game was a 3–1 defeat to Croatia in Lens, with Robbie Earle scoring Jamaica's goal. It was followed by a 5–0 defeat to Argentina at Paris' Parc des Princes. Jamaica ended its participation with a 2–1 victory over Japan in Lyon, with Theodore Whitmore scoring both goals. The team finished 22nd out of the 32 teams.

2000s

2002

In the 2002 World Cup Qualification, Jamaica finished 5th overall at the CONCACAF's final round.

2006

The squad struggled in 2006 and 2007, leading some Jamaicans to dub them The Reggae Toyz. The team did not make it past the first stage of 2007 Caribbean Cup qualifying despite hosting the round, eliminating Jamaica from the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The team also fell during the second round of the 2006 World Cup qualification.

In July 2006, ESPN FC reported that Sven-Göran Eriksson, who had just left England, had turned down the chance to manage Jamaica, as well as an unknown Champions League club.[4]

Theodore Whitmore lead the team to impressive victories over El Salvador and Guatemala in the latter part of 2007. However, with the return of former coach Renê Simões (who led Jamaica to the 1998 World Cup), there was heavy optimism in the Reggae Boyz camps. Jamaica started their Road To South Africa 2010 campaign in fine form beating Bahamas 7–0 at home, 6–0 away. They then fought to a hard 1–1 draw with Canada but lost to Mexico and Honduras due to what was considered poor team selection from Renê Simões, which then in turn led to his firing.

Jamaica announced that Jamaica-born John Barnes would take over as manager in November 2008, with former Reggae Boy Theodore Whitmore leading the team in the interim. Jamaica were at the bottom of Group 2 in the 3rd round, but high performances saw them move up in the table. The team battled hard to 1–0 victories over Mexico and Honduras. However, the Boyz fell just short of advancing to the final round.

They managed an impressive 3–0 victory over Canada in their final third round match but failed to move on as Mexico advanced on goal difference after a 1–0 loss to Honduras. After this Theodore Whitmore decided to begin early preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They vowed to play at least one friendly a month. The squad held South Africa to a goalless draw before 15,000 spectators at Vodacom Park, South Africa.

2010s

Jamaica played three friendly matches to start of 2010, a 1–0 win over Canada at the National Stadium in Jamaica during January, 21 scored by Ricardo Fuller; a 2–1 defeat to Argentina at Mar del Plata on February, with Ryan Johnson scoring a goal; and a 2–0 defeat to South Africa in Germany on April. In August, Jamaica started their preparations for defending their Digicel Cup title with a comprehensive 3–1 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. On 5 December 2010, Jamaica defended their Digicel Cup title with a 5–4 PK win in the 2010 Caribbean Championship.

Jamaica started off strong in their opening 2011 Gold Cup match against Grenada winning 4–0. Jamaica again showed a strong performance after beating Guatemala 2–0 (a brace from Demar Phillips), therefore qualifying to the quarterfinals where they faced the US. Jamaica's Gold Cup campaign ended as they lost 2–0 .

2014 World Cup qualification attempt

In 2012 Jamaica successfully advanced to the CONCACAF Hexagonal under the guidance of Theodore Whitmore.

After six matches under Theodore Whitmore, the coach resigned after a series of poor results which included two draws and four losses. In July 2013, the J.F.F. announced Winfried Schäfer as Head Coach for the remain of the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign. The JFF continued changing their technical staff following the resignation of Alfredo Montesso as Technical Director.

2014

Jamaica won the Caribbean Cup in November and qualified for the Copa América Centenario.

2015

Jamaica appeared at the 2015 Copa América in Chile as an invited team. The team was eliminated after losing all three of its Group B matches 1–0 – to Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

A few weeks later, in Gold Cup 2015, Jamaica reached their first final of this tournament finals after beating USA 2–1 in the semi-final. Previously, the Jamaican team qualified first of their group, and beating Haiti 1–0 in the quarter-finals.

2017

Jamaica returned to the Gold Cup Final, upsetting Mexico 1–0 in the semifinals. The Gold Cup final, a rematch of a semifinal match in the 2015 Gold Cup, saw USA beat Jamaica by 2 goals to 1.

Stadium

The team plays their games at Independence Park, known locally as The Office, which is located in Kingston. The stadium opened in 1962 and holds 35,000 people. It got its name The Office from their 50 match unbeaten run from 1995–2001.

Kits

The current kit, made by Umbro, will be debuted by the Reggae Boyz in friendlies against Ecuador on September 7, and the Cayman Islands on September 9.

The home kit is a yellow shirt with black shorts and yellow socks, while the away set is composed of a black shirt and socks and yellow shorts.

Honours

Runners-up (2): 2015, 2017
1991, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014

Competitive record

World Cup record

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Declined participation
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966 Did not qualify 8 2 3 3 8 21
Mexico 1970 4 0 0 4 2 11
West Germany 1974 Withdrew Withdrew
Argentina 1978 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 5
Spain 1982 Did not enter Declined participation
Mexico 1986 Withdrew Withdrew
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 4 6
United States 1994 8 2 3 3 9 11
France 1998 Group stage 22nd 3 1 0 2 3 9 20 11 6 3 24 15
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 16 6 2 8 14 18
Germany 2006 8 2 5 1 11 6
South Africa 2010 8 5 1 2 19 6
Brazil 2014 16 3 6 7 14 19
Russia 2018 8 2 1 5 6 21
Qatar 2022 To be determined To be determined
Canada Mexico United States 2026
Total Group stage 1/21 3 1 0 2 3 9 102 35 28 39 112 139

CONCACAF Championship record

  • 1963 – 1st round
  • 1965 – Did not enter
  • 1967 – Did not qualify
  • 1969 – 6th place
  • 1971 – Did not qualify
  • 1973 – Did not enter
  • 1977 – Withdrew
  • 1981 – Did not enter
  • 1985 – Withdrew
  • 1989 – Did not qualify
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
El Salvador 1963-3003116
Guatemala 1965-000000
Honduras 1967-000000
Costa Rica 1969-5014310
Trinidad and Tobago 1971-000000
Haiti 1973-000000
Mexico 1977-000000
Honduras 1981-000000
1985-000000
1989-000000
Total2/108017426

Gold Cup record

CONCACAF Gold Cup record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA
United States 1991 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 3 12
Mexico United States 1993 Third place 3rd 5 1 2 2 6 10
United States 1996 Did not qualify
United States 1998Fourth place4th521254
United States 2000 Group stage 12th 2 0 0 2 0 3
United States 2002 Did not qualify
United States 2003 Quarter-finals 7th 3 1 0 2 2 6
United States 2005 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 8 10
United States 2007 Did not qualify
United States 2009 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 1 2
United States 2011 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 0 1 7 2
United States 2013 Did not qualify
Canada United States 2015 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 8 6
United States 2017 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 7 4
Total Runners-up 10/14 39 14 7 19 44 58

Caribbean Cup record

  • 1989 – Did not qualify
  • 1990 – Tournament abandoned before third place match, which Jamaica was due to play
  • 1991 – Winners
  • 1992 – Runners-up
  • 1993 – Runners-up
  • 1994 – Did not qualify
  • 1995 – Group stage
  • 1996 – Group stage
  • 1997 – Third place
  • 1998 – Winners
  • 1999 – Third place shared
  • 2001 – Group stage
  • 2005 – Winners
  • 2007 – Did not qualify
  • 2008 – Winners
  • 2010 – Winners
  • 2012 – Group stage
  • 2014 – Winners
  • 2017 – Runners-up

Copa América record

The Copa América includes two invited teams, with Jamaica first appearing as an invitee for the 2015 tournament. In addition, they have qualified as winners of the 2014 Caribbean Cup for the special Centernario tournament in 2016.

Schedule and recent results

2016

2017

7 October 2017 (2017-10-07) Training MatchSaudi Arabia 5–2 JamaicaJeddah, Saudi Arabia

2018

17 November 2018 (2018-11-17) CONCACAF Nations LeagueJamaica v SurinameMontego Bay, Jamaica

2019

Key

  Win   Draw   Loss

Players

Current squad

The following players have been selected for the friendly versus Ecuador on September 7 and the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match versus Cayman Islands on September 9.[6]

Caps and goals as of September 7, 2018 after the game against Ecuador.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Andre Blake (1990-11-21) 21 November 1990 31 0 United States Philadelphia Union
1GK Amal Knight (1993-11-19) 19 November 1993 3 0 Jamaica UWI
1GK Jeadine White (2000-07-07) 7 July 2000 1 0 Jamaica Cavalier SC
2DF Ladale Ritchie (1989-07-30) 30 July 1989 16 0 Jamaica Mount Pleasant FA
2DF Fabian McCarthy (1990-05-12) 12 May 1990 7 0 Jamaica UWI F.C.
2DF Ricardo Thomas (1997-08-30) 30 August 1997 5 0 Jamaica Waterhouse
2DF Kemar Lawrence (1992-09-17) 17 September 1992 46 3 United States New York Red Bulls
2DF Alvas Powell (1994-07-18) 18 July 1994 35 0 United States Portland Timbers
2DF Damion Lowe (1993-05-05) 5 May 1993 13 1 Norway Start
2DF Adrian Mariappa (1986-10-03) 3 October 1986 42 1 England Watford
2DF Michael Hector (1992-07-19) 19 July 1992 20 0 England Sheffield Wednesday
3MF Ricardo Morris (1992-02-11) 11 February 1992 12 0 Jamaica Portmore United
3MF Alex Marshall (1998-02-24) 24 February 1998 5 0 Jamaica Cavalier
3MF Owayne Gordon (1991-10-08) 8 October 1991 15 0 United States San Antonio FC
3MF Tevin Shaw (1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 6 0 Jamaica Tivoli Gardens
3MF Peter Lee Vassell (1998-02-03) 3 February 1998 6 4 Jamaica Harbour View
3MF Kevon Lambert (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 9 0 United States Phoenix Rising
3MF Je-Vaughn Watson (1983-10-22) 22 October 1983 74 4 United States Charlotte Independence
4FW Fabian Reid (1991-08-06) 6 August 1991 7 3 Jamaica Arnett Gardens
4FW Javon East (1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 5 0 Jamaica Portmore United
4FW Romario Williams (1994-08-15) 15 August 1994 12 2 United States Atlanta United
4FW Darren Mattocks (1990-09-02) 2 September 1990 42 14 United States D.C. United
4FW Cory Burke (1991-12-28) 28 December 1991 13 2 United States Philadelphia Union

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Jamaica squad in the past 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Damion Hyatt (1985-12-23) 23 December 1985 2 0 Jamaica Arnett Gardens v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
GK Shaven Paul (1991-03-01) 1 March 1991 1 0 Jamaica Portmore United v.  South Korea, 30 January 2018
GK Dwayne Miller (1987-07-14) 14 July 1987 42 0 Unattached v.  Saudi Arabia, 7 October 2017
DF Ajeanie Talbott (1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 2 0 Jamaica Harbour View v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
DF Barrington Pryce (1993-08-14) 14 August 1993 1 0 Jamaica Tivoli Gardens v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
DF Shawn Lawes (1993-07-03) 3 July 1993 2 0 Jamaica Waterhouse v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 29 April 2018
DF Javain Brown (1999-03-09) 9 March 1999 1 0 Jamaica Harbour View v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 29 April 2018
DF Damano Solomon (1994-10-13) 13 October 1994 1 0 Jamaica Portmore United v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 29 April 2018
DF Shaun Francis (1986-10-22) 22 October 1986 14 3 United States Louisville City v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 25 March 2018
DF Oniel Fisher (1991-11-22) 22 November 1991 14 0 United States D.C. United v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 25 March 2018
DF Jermaine Taylor (1985-01-14) 14 January 1985 101 1 Unattached v.  Saudi Arabia, 7 October 2017
DF Rosario Harriott (1989-09-26) 26 September 1989 9 1 Jamaica Harbour View v.  Saudi Arabia, 7 October 2017
MF Chevone Marsh (1994-02-25) 25 February 1994 5 2 Jamaica Cavalier v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
MF Marvin Morgan Jr. (1992-08-06) 6 August 1992 4 3 Jamaica Arnett Gardens v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
MF Kevaughn Isaacs (1996-01-12) 12 January 1996 2 0 Jamaica Humble Lions v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
MF Kaheem Parris (2000-01-13) 13 January 2000 2 0 Jamaica Cavalier v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
MF Shandel Senior (1999-01-28) 28 January 1999 1 0 Jamaica Fraziers Whip v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
MF Jamiel Hardware (1992-03-12) 12 March 1992 4 1 Jamaica Boys' Town v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 29 April 2018
MF Cardel Benbow (1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 2 0 Jamaica Waterhouse v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 29 April 2018
MF Devon Williams (1992-04-08) 8 April 1992 3 0 United States Louisville City v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 25 March 2018
MF Ewan Grandison (1991-01-28) 28 January 1991 11 0 Jamaica Portmore United v.  Saudi Arabia, 7 October 2017
FW Daniel Green (1997-06-10) 10 June 1997 1 2 Jamaica Harbour View v.  Barbados, 20 August 2018
FW Dane Kelly (1991-02-09) 9 February 1991 2 1 United States D.C. United v.  Antigua and Barbuda, 25 March 2018
FW Maalique Foster (1996-11-06) 6 November 1996 1 1 Jamaica Portmore United v.  South Korea, 30 January 2018
FW Micheal Seaton (1996-05-01) 1 May 1996 13 2 United States Orange County SC v.  Saudi Arabia, 7 October 2017

Records

As of September 9, 2018
Players in bold text are still active with Jamaica.

UB40s

The term UB40 is used in Jamaica to describe players born in the United Kingdom who have gone on to represent Jamaica at international football. The term is a nod to the reggae band UB40 whose members were born in the United Kingdom.[8][9]

Managers

Current coaching staff

Name Nat Position
Theodore Whitmore Jamaica Head coach
Wendell Downswell Jamaica Director of Football
Jerome Waite Jamaica Assistant coach
Lamar Morgan Jamaica Physical Trainer
Warren Barrett Jamaica Goalkeeping coach
Norman Stone Jamaica Equipment Manager
Roy Simpson Jamaica Team Manager
Dr Derrick McDowell Jamaica Team Doctor
Ashauna Davis Jamaica Physiotherapist
Garome Brown Jamaica Masseur
Gregory Daley Jamaica Head of delegation

Manager history

Name From To
Haiti Antoine Tassy 1963 1964
Brazil Jorge Penna 1965
Jamaica George Hamilton 1968
Jamaica Geoffrey Maxwell 1989 1990
Jamaica Carl Brown 1990 July 1994
Brazil René Simões August 1994 February 2000
Brazil Sebastião Lazaroni March 2000 May 2000
Brazil Clóvis de Olivera June 2000 September 2001
Jamaica Carl Brown December 2001 August 2004
Brazil Sebastião Lazaroni August 2004 November 2004
Jamaica Wendell Downswell November 2004 August 2006
Jamaica Carl Brown September 2006 October 2006
Mexico Serbia Bora Milutinović November 2006 November 2007
Jamaica Theodore Whitmore November 2007 December 2007
Brazil René Simões January 2008 September 2008
Jamaica Theodore Whitmore September 2008 September 2008
England John Barnes September 2008 June 2009
Jamaica Theodore Whitmore June 2009 June 2013
Germany Winfried Schäfer July 2013 September 2016
Jamaica Theodore Whitmore September 2016 Present

References

  1. ↑ "Mexico 0–0 Jamaica Match Report". fifa.com. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "History of Jamaica's Football". Jamaica Football Federation's. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  3. ↑ "The Reggae Boyz, Jamaica Football History and World Cup Qualifying Results". thereggaeboyz.com.
  4. ↑ "Offers already rolling in for unemployed Eriksson". 9 July 2006. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Boyz vs South Korea − JFF boss to sign contract today for friendly set for Turkey January 31". jamaicaobserver.com. Jamaica Observer. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  6. ↑ hhttp://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20180907/reggae-boyz-hunt-first-win-against-ecuador
  7. 1 2 Mamrud, Roberto. "Jamaica – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  8. ↑ Wright, Nodley (24 August 2000). "Hall hangs up internation [sic] boots". Jamaica Gleaner. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Player profiles – Jamaica 1998". Sports Illustrated. 1998. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.