Tweet
Reggae Boyz on standby
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter
Captain Horace Burrell - File
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz may very well find themselves in another last-minute friendly international scramble, as the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) struggles to tie down an opponent for the team.
With no ticket to this summer's FIFA World Cup in South Africa in hand, the Jamaicans are not the most attractive opponent to the world's better teams at this point.
With this in mind, JFF boss Captain Horace Burrell has conceded that the pursuit of a month-end run-out for the Boyz is not going too well and that the team is on standby. Teams prefer to play fellow qualifiers ahead of the June 11 - July 11 spectacle.
difficult
"It's been difficult," Burrell said.
"A lot of teams are heading to the World Cup and we are not, so we are not exactly very attractive at this point.
"Teams that are heading to the World Cup have a preference to play other teams who are heading to the World Cup, and so we have to be on a list, so to speak, in the event that someone is not able to play, then we may get an opportunity to fill in," Burrell continued.
The local lads were faced with a similar situation last month when they were forced to scurry to Germany for an eleventh-hour friendly match against World Cup hosts South Africa, after previous opponents China pulled out of the contest some five days before the match. The Jamaicans, who eventually arrived on the same day of the match, went on to lose the game 2-0.
Burrell has, however, not lost all hope that there will be a confirmation soon, and expressed full understanding of the present position in the wider scope of international football.
"We are at the end of the line and therefore we have to understand that, and so we continue to hope," Burrell pointed out. "We have to understand our position. Unfortunately, we didn't qualify and therefore we are faced with this kind of situation."
JFF General Secretary Horace Reid had stated that the administration had opened discussions with three teams in the hope of securing a match for the Reggae Boyz anywhere between the end of May and the early days of June.
The teams were said to come from the South American and Asian regions, with the game expected to be played outside of Jamaica.
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter
Captain Horace Burrell - File
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz may very well find themselves in another last-minute friendly international scramble, as the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) struggles to tie down an opponent for the team.
With no ticket to this summer's FIFA World Cup in South Africa in hand, the Jamaicans are not the most attractive opponent to the world's better teams at this point.
With this in mind, JFF boss Captain Horace Burrell has conceded that the pursuit of a month-end run-out for the Boyz is not going too well and that the team is on standby. Teams prefer to play fellow qualifiers ahead of the June 11 - July 11 spectacle.
difficult
"It's been difficult," Burrell said.
"A lot of teams are heading to the World Cup and we are not, so we are not exactly very attractive at this point.
"Teams that are heading to the World Cup have a preference to play other teams who are heading to the World Cup, and so we have to be on a list, so to speak, in the event that someone is not able to play, then we may get an opportunity to fill in," Burrell continued.
The local lads were faced with a similar situation last month when they were forced to scurry to Germany for an eleventh-hour friendly match against World Cup hosts South Africa, after previous opponents China pulled out of the contest some five days before the match. The Jamaicans, who eventually arrived on the same day of the match, went on to lose the game 2-0.
Burrell has, however, not lost all hope that there will be a confirmation soon, and expressed full understanding of the present position in the wider scope of international football.
"We are at the end of the line and therefore we have to understand that, and so we continue to hope," Burrell pointed out. "We have to understand our position. Unfortunately, we didn't qualify and therefore we are faced with this kind of situation."
JFF General Secretary Horace Reid had stated that the administration had opened discussions with three teams in the hope of securing a match for the Reggae Boyz anywhere between the end of May and the early days of June.
The teams were said to come from the South American and Asian regions, with the game expected to be played outside of Jamaica.
Comment