Aston Villa forward Leon Bailey and Spartak Moscow striker Shamar Nicholson headline a 23-man squad named by the Jamaica Football Federation on Monday for the CONCACAF Nations League fixture between the Reggae Boyz and Mexico at the Azteca on March 26.

Bailey and Nicholson are two of a number of players who were not apart of the squad for the two friendlies against the Soca Warriors in Jamaica last week.

Defenders Damion Lowe, Amari’i Bell and Kemar Lawrence are also among those who have returned to the squad while regular skipper Andre Blake remains absent through injury.

The match will commence at 7:00pm JA time (8:00pm ET).

The full squad is as follows: Goalkeepers: Jahmali Waite (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Coniah Boyce-Clarke (Reading), Amal Knight (Lexington), Defenders: Amari’i Bell (Luton Town), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford), Dexter Lembikisa (Wolves), Adrian Mariappa (Unattached), Damion Lowe (Philadelphia Union), Richard King (Cavalier), Javain Brown (Vancouver Whitecaps), Kemar Lawrence (Minnesota United), Midfielders: Jonathan Russell (Barnsley), Bobby Reid (Fulham), Demario Phillips (Mt. Pleasant), Kevon Lambert (Phoenix Rising), Daniel Johnson (Preston North End), Ravel Morrison (DC United), Kaheem Parris (Dynamo Kyiv), Forwards: Jamal Lowe (Bournemouth), Cory Burke (NY Red Bulls), Trivante Stewart (Mt. Pleasant), Shamar Nicholson (Spartak Moscow), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)

 

Chelsea midfielder Omari Hutchinson is one of five English-based players that were, on Tuesday, named in the Reggae Boyz squad for two friendlies against Trinidad & Tobago to be held on the 11th and 14th of March in Montego Bay.

The 19-year-old, who spent seven years at Arsenal before moving to Chelsea last year, played his first game for the Reggae Boyz in an unofficial 0-6 friendly loss to Catalonia in May 2022.

The other four England-based players in the squad are Tyler Roberts (Wolves), Dexter Lembikisa (Wolves), Delano McCoy-Splatt (Fulham) and Dante Cassanova (Tottenham Hotspur).

Also selected in the squad for the first time is 17-year-old Kingston College standout Dujuan “Whisper” Richards who was recently on trial at Premier League outfit Newcastle United.

The full squad is as follows: Tyler Roberts (Wolves), Collin Anderson (Cavalier), Trivante Stewart (Mt. Pleasant), Dujuan Richards (Phoenix Academy), Jourdain Fletcher (NEROCA), Lamar Walker (Portmore United), Demario Phillips (Mt. Pleasant), Delano McCoy-Splatt (Fulham), Ravel Morrison (DC United), Dante Cassanova (Tottenham Hotspur), Alwayne Harvey (Mt. Pleasant), Jahshaun Anglin (Harbour View), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea FC), Dwayne Atkinson (Cavalier), Dexter Lembikisa (Wolves), Ricardo Thomas (Dunbeholden), Jamoi Topey (Mt. Pleasant), Richard King (Cavalier), Fitzroy Cummings (Vere United), Adrian Mariappa (Unattached), Sue-Lae McCalla (Mt. Pleasant), Oshane Staple (Harbour View), Jamali Waite (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Kemar Foster (Waterhouse), Asher Hutchinson (Arnett Gardens)

President Michael Ricketts, the Jamaica Football Federation and the entire football fraternity, are saddened by the passing of former national player and outstanding coach, Frank Brown.

Brown, who was widely regarded as one of Jamaica’s best ever defenders, passed on Monday afternoon.

“He was a passionate individual who lived, breathed and taught football,” remarked Michael Ricketts. ”Frank will be remembered equally for his defensive abilities as a player and his outstanding work as a football coach and mentor. He represented Jamaica with distinction. He then went on to guide countless youths both in Kingston and the rural areas to a better life through football. It was no accident that so many of his charges went on to represent Jamaica. There are no words to express the debt of gratitude Jamaica’s football owe to Frank. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.  May his soul rest in peace,” Ricketts concluded.

Frank Brown was one of a short list of coaches who won both the Manning Cup and the DaCosta Cup.

Icelandic head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is enjoying his time as head coach of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz.

The 55-year-old former professional footballer was appointed as the head man for Jamaica in September last year after a four-year stint at Qatari club Al-Arabi from 2018-2021.

Before that, Hallgrimsson was a member of the coaching staff of his native Iceland from 2013-2018.

He was initially appointed as assistant coach to Lars Lagerback before being promoted to joint-head coach after the 2014 World Cup.

Hallgrimsson and Lagerback oversaw the most successful period in the country’s football history including a quarter-final berth at Euro 2016. He officially took over as head coach when Lagerback left to coach Norway after Euro 2016.

“The experience has been good,” stated Hallgrimsson to Sportsmax.TV at the JFF’s official Adidas kit launch at their headquarters on Tuesday about his first few months coaching the Reggae Boyz.

“There are a lot of things I need to learn first before I can really change things. It takes time. You’ll never know everything but it’s better to do the work in the beginning than to slowly learn,” added Hallgrimsson.

He says his focus, as of late, has been to try to learn about Jamaica’s football culture.

“I’ve been doing this. The first two camps I had in January were to get to know the players and the ones that were recommended or played before,” he said.

“In February, I’ve been focusing on the domestic league and domestic players, trying to learn the football culture in Jamaica, watching training sessions, talking to coaches and owners. Maybe, in one week, I will need to start to watch the players playing abroad because it takes a lot of time to do as well,” he added.

When questioned about immediate plans for the Reggae Boyz, Hallgrimsson mentioned that the next few games will give him and his staff an opportunity to see as many players play as possible.

“We play in Trinidad and Tobago on the 11th and the 14th of March. That is good preparation and I think that match will feature players from the domestic league. Then we have the game in Mexico at the end of March and there, we will have the ability to bring in all the players that we want because that’s a FIFA window. We then have a game against Guatemala in early April where we can, hopefully, get some of the players in the US that were not in the Mexico squad.”

“The purpose of all this is to try give as many players as possible a chance to play so we can have the best squad possible in the Gold Cup this summer.”

The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup is scheduled for June 24-July 16 in California.

The Reggae Boyz were beaten 0-1 by the USA in the quarter-finals at the 2021 edition.

 

 

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) held a press conference on Tuesday to officially unveil the new kits to be worn by the respective national teams.

The kits are the first of a ground-breaking partnership between the Federation and apparel giants, Adidas, and were officially unveiled in the boardroom at the JFF headquarters.

“This is a very significant day for football in the history of this country,” said JFF President Michael Ricketts.

“The JFF started the process of negotiating with Adidas, arguably one of the most decorated sport apparel manufacturers in the world. These negotiations were intense and there were times when I felt helpless or that it would not work but, thereafter, came some light and the rest is history,” Ricketts added.

The agreement with Adidas is in place for the next four years.

“It is significant for the JFF to be working with Adidas. The expectation around this transaction, globally, is huge,” said JFF General Secretary Dennis Chung.

“I think that, based on feedback, the expectation and the excitement of people internationally could even be more than here. This transaction with Jamaica is more than just football and sports. It is a culture,” he added.

The Under-17 Reggae Boyz and senior Reggae Girlz are the first two national teams to sport the new kits.

The Under-17s recently competed in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship where they lost to Guatemala in the Round of 16 and the Reggae Girlz are currently in Australia taking part in the Cup of Nations, a build-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup from July 20- August 20 later this year.

The Reggae Boyz first time in the new kit will be in two friendly internationals against Trinidad & Tobago on March 4 and March 11.

 

 

 

Sportswear powerhouse Adidas and the Jamaica Football Federation on Monday officially unveiled the first collection under their four-year apparel deal, which was designed by Grace Wales Bonner, including home and away jerseys, a pre-match jersey and an anthem jacket.

Crafted for the Reggae Boyz (Men’s Team) and Reggae Girlz (Women’s Team), the collection is available for purchase from today via www.adidas.com and select adidas stores and retailers.

The home jersey features the country’s national colours of black, gold, and green. The energy of the island is highlighted by fine pinstripe details that decorate the shirt, echoing the subtle groove of Jamaican music and style.

A woven team badge on the chest and Wales Bonner signoff on the back neck complete the eye-catching look.

The away jersey was crafted to represent the collective memories of proud Jamaicans and celebrates a commitment to fine craftsmanship, with its premium collar and cuffs in the signature Wales Bonner crochet texture.

“As a British born designer with Jamaican heritage, my work has always been imbued by cultural references from all sides of my identity. This collection is no different, when working with adidas and the Jamaica Football Federation, we set out to create a range that reflects the diverse nature and soul of today's Jamaica, authentically connecting with the Jamaican community across the globe,” said Wales Bonner.

As we celebrate the intrinsic relationship between Jamaican culture and football, it’s a collection that I’m hoping players and fans can wear with huge pride - on and off the pitch,” she added.

JFF President Michael Ricketts also gave his remarks.

“Ahead of an exciting year for our Reggae Boyz and Reggae Girlz teams, we’re incredibly proud to unveil these very exciting team kits and sportswear. We believe these designs captures the essence of Jamaica’s culture, as it not only represents Jamaican football but through the mixture of the distinctive Jamaican colours and the designs, highlights the greatest part of our world-renowned Jamaican culture.

We can’t wait to see Jamaican fans and players alike wearing the kits with pride on the world’s biggest sporting stages, as they cheer on the Reggae Boyz and Girlz.

With a bold ambition to further develop the opportunities for girls and boys to play grassroots football at home in Jamaica, this only marks the start of what we are certain will be an incredibly important partnership to inspire future Reggae Girlz and Reggae Boyz.”   

 

 

 

 

 

Kingston College standout Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards is among 32 players invited to training sessions with Reggae Boyz Head Coach Heimir Hallgrinsson at the Jamaica Football Federation headquarters at the University of the West Indies on January 17 and 18.

The 17-year-old Richards recorded 29 goals and 19 assists in the Manning Cup and led Kingston College to the semi-finals.

The full list of players is as follows:

Kemar Foster (Waterhouse FC), Ramone Howell (Waterhouse FC), Ricardo Thomas (Dunbeholden FC), Peter McGregor (Dunbeholden FC), Trivante Stewart (Mount Pleasant FC), Ky-Mani Campbell (Mount Pleasant FC), Demario Phillips (Mount Pleasant FC), Devonte Campbell (Mount Pleasant FC), Jamoi Topey (Mount Pleasant FC), Tafari Chambers (Mount Pleasant FC), Sue-Lae McCalla (Mount Pleasant FC), Alwayne Henry (Mount Pleasant FC), Odane Murray (Mount Pleasant FC), Eric Edwards (Arnett Gardens), Kimani Arbouine (Arnett Gardens), Earl Simpson (Arnett Gardens), Ajuma Johnson (Arnett Gardens), Richard King (Cavaluer SC), Dwayne Atkinson (cavalier SC), Collin Anderson (Cavalier SC), Kyle Ming (Cavalier SC), Jeadine White (Cavalier SC), Gawaine Austin (Portmore United), Oshane Staple (Harbour View FC), Colorado Murray (Harbour View FC), Jahshaun Anglin (Harbour View FC), Nicholas Hamilton (Harbour View FC), Okeemo Jones (Chapleton Maroons), Malachi Douglas (Chapleton Maroons), Dujuan Richards (Phoenix Academy), Jason Wright (Molynes United).

The sessions will commence at 3:00pm.

Police are investigating an incident that saw shots fired at the home of former Reggae Boy Fitzroy Simpson in Swindon, England on Tuesday.

According to reports, the former Jamaica international's house was fired upon by a gunman who reportedly fled the scene before the police were called to the property at 8:15pm.

Upon arrival the police combed the area with a helicopter and a canine unit but the suspect was not located. The search was continued on Wednesday as the area was cordoned off in hopes of finding a weapon or other evidence but none was found.

According to the official Wiltshire police report; “Police were called to an address in Stratton shortly after 8.15pm yesterday evening, following reports of what was believed to be a firearm being discharged in the area.

Firearms officers attended and extensive area searches and house to house enquiries were conducted.

Enquiries remain ongoing. No firearms were located.”

Simpson who represented Manchester city in the Premier League from 1992-1995, also had spells at Bristol and Portsmouth.  He represented the Jamaica Reggae Boyz on 43 occasions, including in all matches during the team’s historic appearance at the 1998 World Cup.

 

Outstanding schoolboy footballer Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards is confident he already has the tools needed to contribute meaningfully to the Jamaican national senior team.

In recent weeks, a dominant season in the country’s high school level program has seen the player score 29 goals and contribute 19 assists to Kingston College. 

An impressive haul by any standard, but more so it is the quality in some of his finishing that has sparked calls for the player to be given an opportunity with Jamaica’s senior squad.

Not everyone agrees with that particular assessment, however, as some believe the step-up in opponent quality might be a gap too far to bridge at this stage of the player’s young career and might even do more harm than good.

High school players being given an opportunity to feature for the country’s national team is rare but not unprecedented.  In years gone by Kevin ‘Pele’ Wilson another schoolboy football standout, who represented Charlie Smith, was called into the national squad as a 17-year-old, and made his debut against Norway in 1995. 

Another player, Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner, who represented Wolmer’s in the Manning Cup, went on to be arguably the country’s most successful player after being handed his debut as a teenager in 1997, ahead of the country’s historic qualification for the 1998 World Cup.  Based on his tremendous displays many believe Richards deserves similar consideration. He agrees.

“Yes, for sure, right now,” Richards told SportsMax.Tv’s InCaseYouMissedIt, when quizzed about his state of readiness in regard to representing the national team.

“Craig (Butler) has been saying this for like two years, three years now,” he added.

The often controversial Craig Butler is the agent and adoptive father to Aston Villa star Leon Bailey and has had Richards as part of his Phoenix Academy club for the past several years.

"That’s the reason I played Manning Cup to prove myself that nobody is lying, that Craig isn’t lying, my father isn’t lying.  Nobody that has been saying I can play is lying,” he added.

Richards also revealed that the current season of the Manning Cup was his first and will also be his last as the player is expected to explore offers from around Europe.  

A Leeds fan who was accused of racially abusing Jamaica and West Ham forward Michail Antonio has been banned from football events for 4 years.

The incident occurred during the teams defeat to West Ham at Elland Road in 2021.  On that occasion Antonio scored a 90th minute winner to give the Hammers a 2-1 win.

Following the goal, Gary Hawkins, a 52-year-old male, was found to not have only abused Antonio from his seat but also threatened another fan who challenged him regarding the language. 

Hawkins was found guilty of two offences after a trial at Leeds Magistrates' Court and given an eight-week sentence, suspended for 12 months.

The West Yorkshire Police were quick to condemn the action.

"Race hate crime such as this is truly abhorrent and can never be tolerated,” said Supt Russ Hughes.

"As we have seen with this incident, other fans will rightly take exception to this type of behaviour.”

 

 

Jamaica Reggae Boyz head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against World Cup-bound Cameroon on Wednesday.

Neither team fielded full-strength units for the international friendly, but the competitive fixture, in front of a vociferous crowd at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, was a fiercely contested affair.

Despite looking less potent as an attacking unit, a defensively solid Jamaica took the lead through Justin McMaster in the 60th minute.  The Cameroonians, however, managed to eventually get back on level footing after substitute Djawal Kaiba’s deflected long-range effort flew over the head of Jahmali Waite and into the net, in the 76th minute.

Despite losing the lead, Hallgrimsson believes the team, which consisted of many players based in Jamaica, put in a commendable performance, considering the limited preparation time.

“I think we are quite happy with the players. It was a good result for Jamaica; playing early in the season and a lot of players not having a lot of games under their belt and playing in a difficult environment, probably the biggest crowd most of the players have played in front of, with 40,000 people supporting the opponent.” Hallgrimsson said following the match.

“They were intimidating circumstances playing a World Cup team but I think we can be happy with the result.  I am happy with how professional the players were in the camp and how much they took in from what we were trying to teach them.  Overall, I think that we were really happy,” he added.

“For the game itself we need to improve a lot but that is understandable when these players haven’t played a lot together.”

 

Jamaica Reggae Boyz coach Heimir Hallgrímsson is expecting a highly competitive and difficult fixture against World Cup-bound Cameroon on Wednesday.

Both teams will field majority players from their individual country’s local leagues but with the global football showpiece on the horizon in the next two weeks, the Africans will have a strong incentive to put on a show for their home crowd.

In addition, Cameroon coach Rigobert Song has promised to fill the remaining World Cup squads with players from the encounter.

“We really don’t know much about Cameroon.  The national team that will be facing us, its local players it’s not the team that will be going to the World Cup but I can say for sure that league in Cameroon is really strong and I don’t have the calculations but I think it is much stronger than the league in Jamaica,” Hallgrímsson said ahead of the fixture.

“For the guys before the camp the Cameroon coach Rigobert Song said he would pick 3 players from this squad to go to the World Cup with him in Qatar.  So, they have a lot to fight for and a lot to show, so we will be facing a very motivated group of players tomorrow.”

The match will be the second in charge for Hallgrimson who made his debut in a 3-0 defeat to Argentina after taking charge of the team in October.

Newly appointed Jamaica Reggae Boyz head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson believes a 3-0 scoreline might have flattered Argentina, insisting his team was made to pay for a loss in concentration in the defeat at the Red Bull stadium on Tuesday.

Argentinean superstar Lionel Messi came off the bench to score twice as the Albiceleste, who, in truth, looked comfortable despite holding a slim 1-0 lead, blew the game wide open in the last 10 minutes.

By the time the world-famous number 10 entered the fray, in the 56th minute, Argentina were already 1-0 up courtesy of Julian Alvarez’s tidy finish in the 13th minute. from there they had struggled to find real goalscoring momentum, that is until Messi entered the pitch.

After stinging the palms of Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake with an early attempt, the forward made no mistake blasting his shot well to the left of the keeper, when he got another opportunity, to double the lead in the 86th minute.  However, sloppy play in midfield led to the dangerous player taking possession at the edge of the area.

Three minutes later, there was real anxiety when the wily forward was brought down just at the top of the 18-yard box.  Those concerns were proven valid when Messi picked himself up and scored the resulting free-kick.  Again the Jamaicans might well feel dissatisfied with their defensive play, as Messi found space through a somewhat disheveled wall to beat Blake again.  The match was the first for Hallgrimsson and he believes despite the errors they were a few positives.

“We lost 3-0 and you are never happy to lose.  Three, zero is a big number but I don’t think it reflects the game on a whole,” Hallgrimsson said.

“It does not reflect the performance of our players, I think we showed an excellent team performance for 80 minutes and we lost a little focus in possession that led to the first and the second goal and then from that lost more focus for the third goal and that cannot happen,” he added.

“Those were the negatives from the match.  We kept them from creating goal-scoring chances, more or less, until the 80th minute.  After 10 minutes we were finding our feet but after that, we were comfortable with how we played our defensive game.”

Reggae Boyz central defender Damion Lowe said the team is in good spirits and looking forward to their friendly against two-time world champions Argentina in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Newly appointed Reggae Boyz head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson believes his first order of business is to develop a national philosophy on how Jamaican wants to play football.

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