‘Make it count’
Reggae Girlz coach implores country to build on World Cup qualification
Published:Wednesday | July 13, 2022 | 12:12 AM
REGGAE GIRLZ coach Lorne Donaldson said the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should use the team’s second successive qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup to uplift the nation’s football.
Speaking after the Girlz defeated Haiti 4-0 in a must-win game to secure their place in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, he called on the Jamaican people to believe in what the Cedella Marley-led Bob Marley foundation was doing to give the programme the assistance it needs to do bigger things.
“I am glad for the country and for the players. Hopefully, we can use this qualification as a federation and turn our football around in a positive way.
“The last time we qualified we just qualified but this time I think there is a lot of good that will come out of this,” he said.
In a must-win game for the Jamaicans, captain Khadija Shaw with two goals and an assist, plus a goal each for Trudy Carter and Drew Spence saw the Girlz to a comprehensive 4-0 win over their Caribbean opponents.
The win moved Jamaica into second with six points, three behind group winners USA.
Third-place Haiti will now have to try to qualify via the confederation play-offs.
Prior to the tournament, the team had the issues of previous coach Vin Blaine, who resigned unceremoniously, while the matter of adequate training time and no practice match left a lot of doubters but Donaldson said he always believed in the players.
“In Jamaica, we have a saying that we little but we tallawah, meaning we are very small but we can do big things and I always back these players to do big things.
“No practice games, we just got together and did a three-week camp. People have to buy into what we are doing. It was a short process and there had been a lot of questions asked but we answered the question and the people at home are very joyous,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Jamaica will play Canada in the semi-final on Thursday and victory over the region’s second ranked and world’s sixth-ranked team would mean a historic qualification to the Olympic Games. “We are not done yet,” said Donaldson.