Boyz face travel issues en route to Japan

Several England-based players from Jamaica's national senior men's football team, the Reggae Boyz, were prevented from boarding their connecting flight in Amsterdam on their way to Japan for a series of friendly matches after they failed to produce a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, which is required to enter the Asian country.

It is understood that Kasey Palmer, Blair Turgott, Dillion Barnes, Adrian Mariappa, Andre Gray, and Liam Moore had tests using swabs from the mouth and nostrils.

However, the Japanese, who have been experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent months, only accept PCR tests done from the nostril.

Japan, the host of this summer's Olympic Games, has recorded over 744,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while there have been more than 12,900 deaths recorded from the deadly disease.

The friendly matches will be played in the cities of Sapporo, Kobe and Nagoya where the COVID-19 infection rates are very low.

It is also understood that only 10 of the Reggae Boyz's 22 players arrived in Japan today.

Attacking midfielder Tyreek Magee, who travelled from Jamaica to Amsterdam and was said to be in possession of his required negative PCR test, also did not arrive in Tokyo as scheduled. The reason for his delayed arrival is unclear.

Jamaica will face Japan in Sapporo, on Thursday, June 3, followed by a match against Serbia on June 7 in Kobe before facing Japan's Olympic team in Nagoya on Saturday, June 12.