Reggae Boyz set Guyana date

(Jamaica Observer) Jamaica’s National Senior Men’s team, the Reggae Boyz, will play next in Jamaica against the National team of Guyana, the Golden Jaguars, on Friday, May 18 at 8:00 pm at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay.

The match will be played 21 days before both teams play their first match in the semi-final round of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers on June 8.

Guyana shocked the region when they beat Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for the semi-final stage and will be using this game against Jamaica as a major practice. Victory over Trinidad and Tobago is said to have reflected the new beginning in Guyana’s senior football team’s prospects on the international stage.

For the Reggae Boyz this game will represent the start of the final stretch of preparation, which will also include a home-and-away game against Panama, May 27 and June 1, respectively, and a major training camp expected to begin middle May.

The game against Guyana was originally planned for April 29, but the GFF requested a change of date to allow the Federation to get their best squad together, including their overseas-based players. A number of England-based players from the various tiers of English football are expected to represent the team.

Jamaica will also field a number of overseas-based players, who would have ended their club obligations by that time.

Playing the games in Montego Bay continues the effort of the JFF to help with the rebuilding of the game in the western region and is in acknowledgment of the support the games have got at the venue.

It is also part of the Federation’s thrust to expose as many of the players to as many fans as possible in the buildup to the qualifiers.