Related items

• JFF appoints Omar McFarlane U-17 Reggae Boyz Ambassador ahead of World Cup qualifiers

  The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has appointed distinguished businessman and philanthropist, Omar McFarlane as the official Ambassador for the Under-17 Reggae Boyz, as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers scheduled to begin next year.

  McFarlane has strong ties to Jamaica and Florida, where he founded the renowned Champion Football Club in South Florida. Champion is a non-profit travel football club that focuses on providing Jamaican youth players with opportunities to showcase their talent by competing in the Florida travel league.

  In his role as Ambassador, McFarlane will play a critical part in helping to secure the necessary funding and support required for the Under-17 Reggae Boyz to excel and qualify for the age group World Cup, scheduled for 2025 in Qatar. His dedication to youth development and football excellence makes him an ideal candidate to support the young talents representing Jamaica on the international stage.

  McFarlane shared his enthusiasm for the role.

  "I am honoured to be appointed as the Ambassador for the U17 Reggae Boyz. I am committed to leveraging my connections and resources to ensure that our young players have the best opportunities to succeed and make Jamaica proud on the world stage,” he said.

  The President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Michael Ricketts expressed gratitude for McFarlane's willingness to support the Under-17 Reggae Boyz.

  "We are thrilled to have Omar on board as our Ambassador for the U17 team. His passion for football and dedication to youth development align perfectly with our goals for the national youth programme. We look forward to working together to achieve great success,” Ricketts stated.

  The JFF and the Under-17 Reggae Boyz are excited about the prospects of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and are confident that with McFarlane's support and sports loving fans, the team will reach new heights in international football.

• Passion, mentality and drive make 'champion' Mbappe special, says Henry

  Kylian Mbappe's passion, mentality and drive are the fundamental factors that make him so special, according to France legend Thierry Henry. 

  Les Bleus' skipper is heavily linked with a blockbuster move to Real Madrid after it was officially announced last week that he will depart Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this campaign.

  Mbappe leaves Parc des Princes as the club's all-time leading scorer, while he has just been named Ligue 1's Player of the Year for a fifth successive season, and is set to top the goalscoring charts for a sixth year running.

  Still only 25 years old, he has already played in two World Cup finals - lifting the trophy in 2018 and scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 showpiece as France lost out to Argentina on penalties - and won six domestic titles. 

  Mbappe has also scored 46 goals in 77 caps for Les Bleus, trailing only Henry (51) and Olivier Giroud (57) on their all-time list, and will look to add the European Championship to his list of honours when he leads his country into the 2024 tournament next month.

  Saluting the forward in a new BBC documentary entitled 'Mbappe', Henry said: "The great champions have something in them that I cannot describe.

  "When you're a champion, you have to bring something to the table, something extra that is not normal, and that he has. The higher you go, the less normal you are.

  "When it comes to this mentality and will, champions do have something that is a bit different to others.

  "What I can see in this guy is passion, the will and the love of the game. If you do what needs to be done with those tools, then you're unstoppable.

  "What he has achieved already, some people didn't do that in their careers, and they were outstanding players."

  There are many similarities between Henry and Mbappe, most notably their styles of play with explosive attacking flair and electric speed. Both grew up in the Paris suburbs, started their senior careers at Monaco and went on to win the World Cup with France.

  And the 46-year-old offered a closer insight into what makes the PSG forward on another level to his contemporaries.

  "What I see is the same will of wanting to succeed," he analysed. "I don't care about anything else if you don't have that will, that drive - and Kylian has that in abundance. What makes him so special for me is easy; he thinks.

  "People always talk about his speed. I know a lot of players that are fast, but can they play football at that level? No. Can they score? Can they run as fast as he does with the ball?

  "Can you still see the game when you're running at full speed? You need to have a lot of tools in order to do that, and he's also clever.

  "Of course, he has to work on stuff, he's still young and people forget that. He's not yet a finished article. Are you ever a finished article, whether it's in life or football?"

• ​Austin FC v Houston Dynamo: Olsen reveals 'tough conversations' as derby looms

  Ben Olsen had to hold a few "tough conversations" to get the Houston Dynamo out of their slump, with Saturday's Texas derby at Austin FC offering them the chance for back-to-back wins.

  The Dynamo approached Saturday's trip to Sporting Kansas City both winless and goalless in three MLS matches (one draw, two defeats), while they were also dumped out of the U.S. Open Cup by Detroit City FC.

  However, goals from Hector Herrera and Ibrahim Aliyu handed them a 2-1 road win and lifted them into the top seven of the Western Conference – above Austin by a single point. 

  Speaking ahead of Wednesday's grudge match against a team that won the reverse fixture less than a month ago, Olsen credited his players for coming through a tough patch. 

  "I think some people were questioning us, and we've had a few tough conversations, particularly with the U.S. Open cup knockout. This was just a really good response," he said.

  "We have to figure out when we are at our best, to think, 'who are we, at our best?'

  "It was our defensive effort that we hung our hat on last year, so it's a bit of a renewed feeling of that being there."

  Austin, by contrast, were on a run of four wins in six games before they were beaten 2-1 by another Texas rival in FC Dallas on Saturday.

  Despite that reverse, centre-back Julio Cascante has praised the defensive work done by coach Josh Wolff, with Austin looking far more competitive than was the case in their dismal 2023 season.

  "Despite everything, we've worked very hard on the defensive side," Cascante said.

  "Emphasis has been placed on the defensive side, but defending is done as an entire team. It starts with the number nine. I think that makes the difference."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  Austin FC – Sebastian Driussi

  Driussi scored a consolation from the penalty spot at Dallas on Saturday, his third goal of the season in eight MLS starts. 

  Only Diego Rubio, who has started three additional games, has matched that tally for Austin this year. The Argentine will be looking to carry his team's attacking hopes again here.

  Houston Dynamo – Amine Bassi 

  Bassi recorded his third assist of the season by teeing up Hector Herrera's 31st-minute strike against Sporting on Saturday. 

  All three of Bassi's assists have come on goals from outside the box this season – Houston's only three strikes from outside the penalty area.

  MATCH PREDICTION – AUSTIN FC WIN

  Houston have won three of their first five road matches this year, having only recorded more than three regular-season away wins in one of the last 10 campaigns, winning four times on their travels in 2022.

  However, Austin have won all four of their previous home matches against Houston, netting multiple goals in each contest. The Dynamo are one of two teams – alongside Kansas City – that Austin have hosted more than once while posting a 100 per cent record.

  Austin have also won three straight at home after only winning once in their previous 10 outings at Q2 Stadium. Back on home soil after Saturday's derby loss, they will expect a different result. 

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Austin FC – 44.9%
  Houston Dynamo – 26.9%
  Draw – 28.2%