‘MAKE USE OF IT’
Speid implores Reggae Boyz to cash in on World Cup berth second chance
Published:Thursday | March 26, 2026 | 12:07 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Reggae Boyz head coach Rudolph Speid will attempt to set the record straight when his charges face off against New Caledonia in the FIFA Intercontinental World Cup Play-offs at the Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, tonight at 10 p.m.
Speid, in his pre-match interview, noted that failure to secure automatic qualification to the football showpiece back in November had a devastating effect on the nation, and that the focus is to make the most of this opportunity for redemption.
“It is [for us] to recognise that we would have failed and that if we get a second chance, make use of it,” he stated.
“If you want to know how we feel. Last year we had two catastrophes. One was the hurricane (Melissa), that decimated half the island; the next one was in November in the National Stadium, when we failed to qualify straight.
“So we know Jamaicans had two big setbacks, and they need something to smile about now. So that is what is on our shoulders and what we are trying to deliver,” he declared.
Jamaica, ranked 70 on the FIFA list, will start as heavy favourites against the 150th-ranked New Caledonia, stacked with mostly amateur players.
However, Speid pointed out that they know very little of the opponents and will approach them with caution.
“There are no favourites in football any more. You can have 85 per cent possession and still lose. We don’t know them any at all. They are an unknown quantity. We have never seen them play live, it’s just a few matches on videos we have been able to watch.
“So tomorrow we are going forward to try and be very adaptable to whatever they do, and apply some pressure from our end,” he stated.
There were concerns that the Boyz weren’t allowed to use the match venue for their final training session, but Speid added that the team is fully focused on the job and cannot afford unnecessary distractions at this stage.
“We are not concerned about it. We cannot make those things get to our heads. As they say, ‘A boxer never goes in the ring before he fights.’ So we will be using that same mentality.”
Despite wearing the favourites tag, Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake is demanding a professional performance from his teammates.
“Every football player wants to play in the World Cup. It’s no different for me. We have to win one game and then win one more game, and hopefully, the dream happens.
“But for us, it’s going out there and putting on a professional performance. Football can be tricky. You don’t win football on paper any more. We will have to go out and perform, and that’s what we intend to do,” he said.