1 year ago
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WITH SEVERAL of the Reggae Girlz’s key players absent from Jamaica’s 23-player squad to take on Peru in their upcoming friendlies, head coach Hubert Busby Jr said the door is open for young players to show their talent in the senior set-up.
The Reggae Girlz are set to contest a pair of international friendlies against Peru on February 23 and 26 at the Estadio Miguel Grau in Lima.
Busby says the games will prove important for the national teams as they ramp up their preparations for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.
“I’m really pleased to have secured these two matches against a quality opposition in Peru. It gives us an opportunity to play a team that is very similar to some of the teams that we may encounter in Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers,” he explained.
However, in naming his 23-player squad for the friendlies, several key names were notably absent from his list.
Chief among them is Manchester City’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw as well as Newcastle striker Shania Hayles and veteran defender Konya Plummer.
Busby explained their absence was due to conversations with their clubs to address concerns with load management and injuries.
“It is just more load management for some of these players,” he said.
“We’re always going to do what is in the best interest of the players at this particular time because if we lose these players to long-term injuries, God forbid, it just doesn’t want to be in terms of load management.”
Busby pointed to Shaw’s situation at Man City, explaining that conversations with the player and the club surrounding her fitness had led to her absence from the friendlies.
Shaw made her first start of the 2025 calendar year on Sunday in Man City’s 4-0 win over Liverpool where she scored two goals.
“The most important thing in terms of Bunny is health. If everyone has noticed, yesterday was her first start in 2025. She has been out for a while and she’s had limited minutes and she’s still on restrictions,” he explained.
“Man City is monitoring her progress in terms of her coming back in and obviously, we respect that as well.”
With these players absent, Busby will be using the opportunity to reintegrate several young players who have been absent from the national programme over the past few assignments.
He highlighted several of the university-based players, who have been called up as he will be using the Peru friendlies as a test of their progress.
“It gives us a chance to look at some other players as well,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to integrating some players back into the group, especially with them being away with their schools and different commitments.
“We’re excited to have those players and to see how they’ll make the step up again.”
These players include the Florida State University’s (FSU) duo of Kameron Simmonds and Amelia Van Zanten, Dayton State College’s Shaniel Buckley, La Salle University’s Ricshya Walker, Louisiana State University’s Jazmin Ferguson, and Anderson University’s Aliyah Morgan.
“We’re excited to see some of these younger players and what they bring in. With the likes of Kameron and Mimi, they are veteran players who have been around the group and know what to be expected,” he said.
“So yeah, we’re excited about our pool of players and the young players that are asking questions and are pushing through for sure.”
REGGAE GIRLZ SQUAD
Goalkeepers:
Rebecca Spencer, Aliyah Morgan, Liya Brooks
Defenders:
Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Naya Cardoza, Siobhan Wilson, Jazmin Ferguson, Deneisha Blackwood, Kameron Simmonds, Nyema Ingleton
Midfielders:
Atlanta Primus, Njeri Butts, Amelia Van Zanten, Drew Spence, Jade Bailey, Olufolasade Adamolekun
Forwards:
Tiffany Cameron, Kayla McKenna, Shaniel Buckley, Jody Brown, Reanna Blades, Ricshya Walker
English (US) ·