6 days ago
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With the Reggae Boyz set to play in England for the first time since 2014, head coach Steve McClaren said the Unity Cup represents an important opportunity for the Jamaican diaspora to see the team compete live.
Jamaica will compete against Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria and Ghana in the Unity Cup next month at the Gtech Community Centre in London, England.
It will be the Reggae Boyz’s first time playing in England since their 2-2 draw against Egypt in 2014 at Brisbane Road.
McClaren said the upcoming fixtures in England are important for Jamaican fans living in the United Kingdom (UK) as they rarely get the opportunity to see the team play live.
“We’ve always been excited to bring Jamaica to the UK and to have a camp there. This is the perfect opportunity to do that,” McClaren said about the Unity Cup.
“I think many supporters in the UK will look forward to getting close to and be able to watch it at close hand. I think it is important that we don’t just connect to the supporters in Jamaica, but the diaspora around the world and especially in the UK.”
McClaren said he expects a major turnout due to the strong presence of Jamaican fans living in the UK.
He explained that in doing his research about players eligible to wear the national colours, he was shocked to see the number of dual nationals who currently compete in the English football system.
“The more I’ve travelled around the UK to watch Jamaican players, I’ve known that the support is there and the interest is there. The amount of people who have that dual nationality is unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s unbelievable. When I first joined, I had a friend of mine and I said just go out there and search for those with dual nationality and could play for Jamaica. He did that and got 60 or 70 names; it was unbelievable.”
His sentiments were echoed by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts, who called on the support of the Jamaican fans for the four-team competition.
“Outside of North America, the UK has the largest Jamaican diaspora and we are elated and thrilled to participate in this competition,” Ricketts said.
“We are eagerly looking forward to seeing the sea of black, green and gold across London when Jamaica comes into town. It certainly will be a special event.”
English (US) ·