As Jamaica's Reggae Boyz gear up for a packed international summer, head coach Steve McClaren has made it clear that the upcoming Unity Cup in England will serve as an experimental ground as he fine-tunes his squad ahead of critical FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The Reggae Boyz face Trinidad and Tobago on May 27 and either Nigeria or Ghana on May 31 in the Unity Cup—a mini-tournament staged in London. These fixtures mark the beginning of an intense schedule that continues with World Cup qualifiers against the British Virgin Islands and Guatemala on June 7 and 10, followed by a Gold Cup showdown with Guatemala six days later. The Boyz will then meet Panama and Guadeloupe to round out the group stage of the continental tournament.
"We've made little increments along the way for the one goal of World Cup qualification. That's why the players travel from around the world to come and play for Jamaica. So we've certainly got that commitment, and we're building, we're growing, and we're getting the milestones. We've got the Unity Cup; we're going to experiment with the squad in the UK because we've got World Cup qualifiers, which are very serious to us. So we need a strong squad as well to go into the Gold Cup," McClaren said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
"So I'm really looking forward to this tournament. It's a new one for me, but everything is geared towards having a good squad, and that's why we're looking at some players in the Unity Cup. We're still trying to get passports for other players as well to make sure that we have the best players available because you need the best players to be able to qualify," he added.
Among those he is hoping to see back in action is Michail Antonio, the seasoned West Ham striker, who was recently listed in Jamaica’s provisional Gold Cup squad as he continues to recover from a serious car accident late last year.
"I think in February or March, I was speaking to him, and he said, pencil me in for the Unity Cup, the World Cup qualifiers, and the Gold Cup. I think he's hoping to be on the bench for West Ham's last game. I hope he makes that and hope he gets fit because we want him. We want him with us not just as playing potential, but also as a leader of the team. He is so vital," McClaren shared.
Though the summer fixtures present a rare and awkward scheduling twist in which they face Guatemala in both the World Cup qualifiers and Gold Cup within a week, the Englishman welcomed the challenge. Guatemala currently head Group E in the World Cup qualifiers as they boast a healthy goal difference over the Reggae Boyz, as both teams sit level on six points.
"Two-legged games to qualify, and we're used to it. But it is strange; it will be strange playing Guatemala in the World Cup qualifier and then, six days later, playing them again in the Gold Cup. But they will be two completely different venues and two completely different games. And yeah, although the World Cup qualifier is very important to us, the Gold Cup will be just as important," he noted.
With Panama, Guatemala, and Guadeloupe standing between Jamaica and a deep Gold Cup run, McClaren is not taking anything for granted.
“There are no easy games in Concacaf. None. Saint Vincent gave us two tough games—Guadeloupe beat Nicaragua, who were also difficult, and Panama have impressed me because they are very structured, possession-based, and hard to break down. When I look at the 16 teams, every group is tough. Every game will be a fight. We have to be together, and we have to battle and then let our football show," he declared.