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JAMAICA<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>FOOTBALL<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>FEDERATION LTD.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o
></o></SPAN></H1><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Founded 1962, Affiliated to FIFA and CONCACAF C.F.U. CABLE: Football <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Jamaica</st1lace></st1:country-region><o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">20 St. Lucia Crescent</SPAN></st1:Street><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">, <st1:City w:st="on">Kingston</st1:City></SPAN></st1:address><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> 5, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region>, <st1lace w:st="on">West Indies</st1lace><o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Telephone: (876) 929-0484/929-8036/926-1182<o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Fax: (876) 929-0483<o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Email<SPAN style="COLOR: #3366ff">: jamff@hotmail.com</SPAN><o></o></SPAN>
March 12, 2007
Boyz back in action
The Jamaica Football Federation today announced two international friendly games featuring the National Senior Men’s Team, the Reggae Boyz to be played in March.
The first game features Jamaica vs. Switzerland on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 7:15pm at the Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Switzerland is currently ranked 14th in the Coca-Cola FIFA World Rankings, moving up three (3) places since January. Switzerland has qualified to the World Cup Finals seven (7) times and exited from the 2nd round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
The second game is a “Digicel International Match” and features Jamaica vs. Panama on Monday, 26 March 2007 at 8:00pm at the National Stadium.
Digicel International Matches are friendly football games organised by Digicel throughout the Caribbean and Central American region to provide teams in the region with increased international experience as well as to provide fans with more opportunities to watch their respective teams in international action.
Panama is currently ranked 74th in the Coca-Cola FIFA World Rankings, moving up six (6) places since January. Panama team finished second in the Digicel Cup of Nations for Central America, losing to Costa Rica on penalties. Panama, who also reached the finals of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, has not lost a match in their last three encounters.
The Senior team trains on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 9:00am and 4:00pm at Brancourt in Clarendon. The full list of invitees to the training camp, inclusive of overseas based invited players, will be released on Tuesday, March 13.
JAMAICA<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>FOOTBALL<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>FEDERATION LTD.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o></SPAN></H1><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Founded 1962, Affiliated to FIFA and CONCACAF C.F.U. CABLE: Football <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Jamaica</st1lace></st1:country-region><o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">20 St. Lucia Crescent</SPAN></st1:Street><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">, <st1:City w:st="on">Kingston</st1:City></SPAN></st1:address><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> 5, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:country-region>, <st1lace w:st="on">West Indies</st1lace><o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Telephone: (876) 929-0484/929-8036/926-1182<o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Fax: (876) 929-0483<o></o></SPAN><P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Email<SPAN style="COLOR: #3366ff">: jamff@hotmail.com</SPAN><o></o></SPAN>March 12, 2007
Boyz back in action
The Jamaica Football Federation today announced two international friendly games featuring the National Senior Men’s Team, the Reggae Boyz to be played in March.
The first game features Jamaica vs. Switzerland on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 7:15pm at the Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Switzerland is currently ranked 14th in the Coca-Cola FIFA World Rankings, moving up three (3) places since January. Switzerland has qualified to the World Cup Finals seven (7) times and exited from the 2nd round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
The second game is a “Digicel International Match” and features Jamaica vs. Panama on Monday, 26 March 2007 at 8:00pm at the National Stadium.
Digicel International Matches are friendly football games organised by Digicel throughout the Caribbean and Central American region to provide teams in the region with increased international experience as well as to provide fans with more opportunities to watch their respective teams in international action.
Panama is currently ranked 74th in the Coca-Cola FIFA World Rankings, moving up six (6) places since January. Panama team finished second in the Digicel Cup of Nations for Central America, losing to Costa Rica on penalties. Panama, who also reached the finals of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, has not lost a match in their last three encounters.
The Senior team trains on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 9:00am and 4:00pm at Brancourt in Clarendon. The full list of invitees to the training camp, inclusive of overseas based invited players, will be released on Tuesday, March 13.
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Technical director of the national football programme Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic (left) shares a moment with Digicel's marketing manager, Yvonne Wilks (centre), and president of the Jamaica Football Federation Crenston Boxhill at yesterday's press conference, where it was announced that the Reggae Boyz would be playing Switzerland and Panama later this month in friendly internationals. (Photo: Joseph Wellington) </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>JAMAICA'S senior footballers will begin intensifying their preparations ahead of next February's start of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa by playing international friendlies against Switzerland and Panama later this month.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Reggae Boyz will travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they will oppose seven-time World Cup finalist Switzerland at the Lockhart Stadium on March 22, before entertaining Panama four days later at the National Stadium - in what will be the first home game for technical director Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The man who guided Jamaica to win the Lunar New Year Cup in Hong Kong last month, is looking forward to the game against Panama, who are now being coached by his "close friend" - Brazilian-born former Costa Rica coach Alexandre Guimaraes.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The other day he told me (that) he waits for me (and Jamaica) and I also told him I wait for you (and Panama)," Milutinovic joked, noting that he'll be using the core group of players, who participated in February's tournament in China.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I think what is important for us is to study to play these two games (Switzerland and Panama). I was very happy (with) how we played in Hong Kong... it was the first time ever we (Jamaica) won the tournament and now our preparation will be much better for these two games," the Serbian-born coach added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The March 26 clash against CONCACAF rivals Panama is being arranged by Digicel as part of a series of internationals across Caribbean and Central America, as they further support the development of football in the region.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Calum MacDougal, head of sponsorship for the Digicel Group, told the Observer that following Digicel's huge success in staging the Caribbean Cup and Copa de Naciones in 2007, "we created the concept of 'Digicel International matches', where the company helps cover key organisational cost to enable football federations to stage more games".<P class=StoryText align=justify>However, he stayed wide of revealing the exact amount of money that Digicel would be spending on the series of matches.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We are making a significant investment as it's a six-figure US Dollar sum... over the course of this week we are going to look to announce some more matches as part of the series and we hope this is something we can do long into the future into FIFA windows to help football in the Caribbean and Central America through playing," MacDougal added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Crenston Boxhill knows the importance of getting good results in both games, especially against 2005 Gold Cup finalist Panama, as the Reggae Boyz seek to rebuild for
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>GARDNER... to make return to 'The Office' after a three-year absence </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Gardner, a veteran of Jamaica's successful team to the 1998 World Cup in France, has not appeared for the Boyz at 'The Office' since the "team's 0-0 tie against El Salvador on October 13, 2004".<P class=StoryText align=justify>Shelton, a speedy forward who recently transferred from Sweden to English Premiership Sheffield, unlike Gardener, has appeared at 'The Office' more recently. 
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Although poor weather conditions stopped the Reggae Boyz from attending their practice session on the field in Florida, Bora led team training in the meeting room.</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida - Rain, and more rain. That's what greeted the Reggae Boyz when they arrived here yesterday, two days ahead of their friendly international against Switzerland at Lockhart Stadium at 7:15 pm (6:15 local time).<P class=StoryText align=justify>The consistent showers, cool climes and gusty winds that swept South Florida most of yesterday kept the team battened down in their hotel rooms at Fort Lauderdale Sheraton Suites.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Technical director, the charismatic Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, was taking no chances and opted to keep his charges warm and dry instead of venturing outdoors for a planned training session at the match venue just a minute or two away from the team hotel.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It's because of the weather, the rain. The condition of the field was not good so we decided not to train on the field, but we will train in the meeting room," Bora said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But the new-look Boyz were not kept idle as Milutinovic, who has the distinction of leading five different nations to the FIFA World Cup Finals, convened one of his intense team sessions.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Though the forecast was for the disturbance to persist until today, Bora has tentatively scheduled two training sessions at 10:30 am and 5:00 pm at nearby Lockhart Stadium.
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Jamaica's technical director Bora Milutinovic (right) watches as captain Donald Stewart dribbles a ball at a practice session in Fort Lauderdale yesterday ahead of today's friendly international against Switzerland.</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida - Technical director Bora Milutinovic said he is pleased with his players' efforts in yesterday's one-hour training session at Lockhart Stadium ahead of today's friendly against Switzerland.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Milutinovic cancelled the evening session, giving the lads some "free time", but pushed them in a tightly packed morning session which included tactical drills, set pieces, one-touch passing and scrimmaging in one half of the Lockhart Stadium pitch - the venue for this evening's game at 7:15 pm (6:15 local time).<P class=StoryText align=justify>On Tuesday a team training session was called off due to poor weather conditions, but the sun came out yesterday, paving the way for the morning session.
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Rookie Andre Redwood juggles a ball during a training session in Fort Lauderdale yesterday.</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>"First and foremost we had a blackboard session where we assessed the Switzerland team and what our tactical approach is going to be. After that we had a tactical training session for about an hour where we also did a bit of fitness work, and the players' response was good, so we're looking forward to a good performance from them...," said the former Jamaica winger.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Milutinovic, aware of the quality within the Swiss ranks, said the aim is to play a tactically sound match.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We're going to play a tactical game like we played in Hong Kong. This is not about winning, but more of playing intelligently and understanding the game," he added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Downswell, too, holds the Swiss in high esteem, especially with their numerous professionals and impressive run at the World Cup Finals last year.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Playing against an opponent that is far more formidable that those (Hong Kong II and China Under-23) we played in the Lunar Cup, will be a true test for us to see where we are," he said yesterday.
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