Reggae Girlz head coach Hubert Busby Jr. says he is drawing closer to identifying the core squad for Jamaica’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins in October. But while progress has been made in player evaluation and tactical development, Busby admits that shoring up the defence remains a critical priority.

Jamaica has conceded 14 goals in their last five matches, a worrying trend that includes heavy defeats to some of the top teams in the women’s game. Since October 2024, the Reggae Girlz have suffered a 3-0 loss to France, back-to-back 4-0 and 3-0 defeats to Mexico in April, and further goals conceded against South Africa in a two-match series.

“To just put it on the defenders would be an injustice,” Busby explained. “First and foremost, we as a staff have to ensure that players understand the match plan. That’s on us. Then it’s about the players being fully engaged, having that communication among themselves, and executing.”

According to Busby, the issue is less about structure and more about concentration and discipline in key moments.

“Football is about moments,” he said. “And if you look at the goals we’ve conceded, they’ve often come from silly errors—switching off at inopportune times. The difference when you switch off against a Peru versus a France is that you get punished immediately. That’s the difference between a top-10 opponent and teams outside the top 40.”

Despite those challenges, Busby says the recent international windows have served their purpose, giving him a clearer sense of which players are ready to make the leap to the senior level.

“It’s been key for us to look at younger players and see how they integrate into the senior team,” he said. “We’ve put them in pressurised environments to see not just how they perform in games, but how they react leading into the matches. What we don’t want is stage fright when it matters most.”

Busby stressed that Jamaica must now reinforce its defensive identity while evolving tactically into a team capable of dictating the tempo, especially against opponents ranked similarly or lower.

“We want to be able to play vertically and be the provocateur in and out of possession,” he explained. “We’ve had a strong defensive foundation in the past, but to evolve—especially against better teams—we need to control games by keeping the ball more and defending as a unit, from the front to the back.”

As the countdown to October begins, Busby is focused on refining roles, solidifying structure, and building resilience.

“We’ve got to make sure everyone is tuned into their assignments,” he said. “That’s how you keep clean sheets and become a team that’s very difficult to beat.”