JFF shoots at month-end friendly int'l

Andre Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is racking up its international phone minutes, scouring the globe for an opponent to face the national senior team, as it pursues a month-end friendly international.

Three teams from the South American and Asian confederations are being courted by the JFF and an announcement is expected to be made by the middle of next week.

General secretary of the JFF, Horace Reid, confirmed the development when contacted by The Gleaner yesterday afternoon, but underlined that there is still a lot of details left to be ironed out before anything could be confirmed.

"There is a possibility that we will have a friendly game for the senior team at the end of this month," Reid shared. "We are trying to finalise the details for it (friendly international) to played at the end of this month or the early part of June."

He added: "We are hoping that by the middle of next week we can be in a position to make an announcement. We are in discussions with three different teams across South America and Asia."

Offshore game

Reid also informed that if secured, the game will be played off the shores of Jamaica.

"If it (friendly international) happens, it will be played overseas. I can't give too much information at this point as there is still a lot that has to be discussed, it's still early, any announcement or confirmation now would be premature," Reid pointed out.

The administrator, who also serves as executive director of the Caribbean Football Union's marketing division, went on to highlight the importance of securing international games for the team, as they prepare for participation in the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Championships.

"It's very important that we try to seek out friendly international games to keep exposing our players at that level," Reid stated. "The more international games that they play, the better prepared they will be for official competition. So we will continue to try and secure games for them as often as we can.

"The Digicel Caribbean Cham-pionships is coming up and that will serve as a qualifier for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, so there is a lot of football still to come for the Boyz," Reid added.

The Reggae Boyz suffered a 2-0 loss to South Africa in their last friendly international which was played in Germany.

The JFF was sent into a mad rush to make the game, after accepting to fill a slot that became vacant when South Africa's previously arranged opponents, China, pulled out five days ahead of schedule.