Problems at home

Jamaica Football Federation General Secretary Dalton Wint says that if the COVID-19 situation continues to worsen, the Reggae Boyz may have to play home fixtures of their FIFA World Cup Qualifiers outside of the country.

His comment follows news that there were 929 new COVID-19 cases recorded on Saturday, the highest ever tallied for one day. There were also 21 deaths, 728 hospitalisations, and a PCR positivity rate of 43.5 per cent.

Jamaica is on the United Kingdom’s amber list, which means that players travelling to the island require one pre-departure test, plus quarantine at home for 10 days upon return. In addition, PCR tests will be required on days two and eight of quarantine (or the fifth day if the cost of an extra test is paid for on that day).

With the fluidity of the COVID-19 situation, especially with rising cases locally, FIFA is looking to avoid any postponement during the qualifiers.

“Yes (it’s possible),” Wint told The Gleaner. “We have not put anything out of the window. All things and all eventualities will be taken into consideration as we will have to play these games because there is not an opportunity to postpone them, so we will have to keep everything open.”

Wint said that if they are forced to go in that direction, Government input would also be required.

FULL SUPPORT

“We will have to get the full support of the Government before we can know if we can’t play [locally],” he said. “It has to be relatively easy for the visiting team and officials to come and play, and if there is any difficulty, then FIFA and Concacaf would ask us to go somewhere else.

“But if countries continue to place others on their red list (where travel is not permitted), then we will continue to have these sorts of problems and we cannot bend around these problems.

“So we need to get control of the COVID-19 situation in other countries and in Jamaica so we don’t have these sorts of problems.”

The Reggae Boyz’s first home game, against Panama, will be played at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.

Jamaica will not have its England-based professionals for the first two qualifying games away to Mexico, on Thursday, and Costa Rica (September 8) as both countries have been red-listed by the UK government.

However, Wint said the JFF is working to ensure that coach Theodore Whitmore has all the players he requires available for the Panama match.

“Our home game will be played in Jamaica,” he said. “The game against Panama will be played in Jamaica. We are trying our best to get all the players for the home game.

“Whatever comes up, we do what we can, but whatever is outside [our control], we can’t do anything about it.”

It is understood that Florida is a possible location if Jamaica choose to play their home matches overseas.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com