Reggae Girlz send-off goes bust

REGGAE GIRLZ coach Lorne Donaldson said logistics did not allow the national senior team to have a warm-up game at home to give them a proper send-off to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from July to August.

Donaldson explained that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) had intended to organise a match for the ladies but certain factors played against them doing that, including the date not being in the FIFA window.

“The logistics did not work out for us to have a game, that is all I will say. The effort was there, but the logistics just didn’t work out. So the camp at home will be just a camp,” he said.

FOCUS ON OPPONENTS

He said the camp will be used to focus on their opponents at the World Cup and to select the final 23 players.

“We will be training accordingly, so we will be looking at preparations and how to approach the games, especially the first game.

“France is in the top five in the world, so that is what the focus is on. We will look at them and see how best we can approach that game,” he said.

He also revealed that plans were well under way for the Girlz to be celebrated and be given a worthy send-off to their second successive World Cup finals appearance.

“For now, we just want to do the camp, then have the celebrations for the Girlz where everyone can bond and give them a good send-off.

“Minister Olivia Grange, Cedella Marley and the JFF will be there to celebrate with them and they all have worked hard to get the celebrations on. So we will do all the hard work in camp, then the celebration stuff and then meet up in Amsterdam (training camp).

The Reggae Girlz final squad must be submitted to FIFA by July 10, and Donaldson said it will be named on the 26th of this month.

“We will have a camp in Jamaica from the 11th and we go up to the 20th. The final squad will be named on the 26th,” he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

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