1 week ago
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With Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago set to compete in the Unity Cup next month, both Caribbean national teams will view the competition as preparation for the Concacaf Gold Cup, set to begin in June.
The Reggae Boyz and the Soca Warriors will compete alongside African outfits Nigeria and Ghana in the four-team tournament set to be hosted in London, England.
Jamaica will face Trinidad on May 27 while Nigeria will take on Ghana the following day.
The winners of both games will return for the final on May 31, with the two losers contesting the third-place match on the same day.
All matches will be hosted at the Brentford FC’s home ground, Gtech Community Stadium.
In a press conference after the Gold Cup preliminaries last month, Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren said the games will prove as another testing ground for local-based players.
With the games set to fall outside of the FIFA international window, Jamaica would be restricted in their selection process.
However, a credible source confirmed that, with the English leagues set to end before the competition’s start, the team will be filled with a mix of local and United Kingdom (UK)-based players.
“The JFF arranged two friendlies for us in the UK against good opponents, so that will get the players today in the camp,” the Reggae Boyz boss stated.
“The more time we can spend with these players, then the better everything will get. So I want to see, from now until May, the local players maintain their standards that they brought and developing and improving.”
McClaren also stated he will be looking to bring more players into the squad, as he hopes to bolster the team’s ranks before the Gold Cup.
“We’re also hoping from now until May that we can make additions as well that we’re really working on. We have some players that we’re quite close to and we’d like to add more quality going forward.”
Meanwhile Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts has called for the support of the diaspora in the UK during the tournament.
Ricketts said with the UK being home to one of the largest Jamaican diasporas, he would be looking for their support across both games.
“Outside of North America, the UK has the largest Jamaican diaspora, and we are elated and thrilled to participate in this competition,” the JFF president 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.”
In a press release, Trinidad’s head coach Dwight Yorke said they will be viewing the games as final preparations for the Gold Cup.
“These matches will help us fine-tune our squad, build chemistry, and ensure we are in the best possible shape for the challenges ahead. It’s all about growth, improvement and maintaining momentum,” Yorke said.
English (US) ·