‘Grab it with both hands’
Reggae Girlz head coach wants underdogs to seize their chance
Published:Wednesday | October 25, 2023 | 12:13 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
REGGAE GIRLZ interim head coach Xavier Gilbert is calling on his young players to make the most of this rare senior team opportunity, when they take on Panama in the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifiers in Panama today at 6 p.m.
The Reggae Girlz squad consists of only six senior internationals and majority u20 players, and even though many give them very little chance of getting a result, Gilbert has charged his young stars to make the most of this rare opportunity.
“This is a good opportunity for young the players. I just want them to grab it with both hands and make the best use of it.
“The only disappointment is that I couldn’t get the service of Shaneil Buckley, who is at the Pan Am tournament. Destiny Powelll and Chris-Ann Chambers are hurt, so not getting Buckley was disappointing.
“The lot of them are excited. They are grateful for the opportunity to play for their country. But the real test and answer will be on the pitch but they are excited for the opportunity and ready to go,” he said.
Gilbert only had one training session to prepare for the game, and with a vastly inexperienced squad going up against a seasoned Panama team, he said most of the efforts in Tuesday’s training went into organising the team defensively.
“The focus will be on our defensive organisation, and we will also look to exploit some spaces we have identified base on our research of the team.
“The objective is to be competitive, hence we drafted the players we have. It is the best that we have on offer now and we will go out and do what we have to do.”
Meanwhile, with a labour strike currently taking place in the Central American country, Gilbert revealed they had to make a few logistical adjustments but said that it has not affected the group.
“There is a strike in Panama, so we had to change hotel. We are now in Panama City. The coaching staff wasn’t able move last night because of the roads that were blocked off. But it didn’t affect the players. They were transferred as soon as they landed.
“But based on what is happening, the LOC and Concacaf are trying to ensure that the game goes on. But with roads closed and movements limited, we are just working to make sure we are ready, based on the situation,” he added.
Yesterday, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) announced that the game would be played in front of a largely empty stadium, just family and friends of the team.
Jamaica’s underdog tag was cemented when the team that beat Panama 1-0 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup refused to accept invitations for the Gold Cup qualification game in Panama, as well as one other against Guatemala at the National Stadium on October 29, en bloc.
Minister of Sport, Olivia Grange, has since stepped in to do all she can to help the parties, the JFF, who suspended the players indefinitely, and the team, to reach an agreement.