Reggae Boyz thrown in the Lion’s Den

Photo: Reggae Boyz Coach Winfried Schafer

Copa America (formerly South American cup) is one of the oldest running international football tournaments in the world. This tournament dated as far back as 1916 has showcased some of the finest footballers and some of the most exciting plays football has to offer, from Conmebol and CONCACAF.

This tournament is held every two years with each participating country from the Conmebol taking it in turn to host the event. In recent years, guest teams are invited from Concacaf. Jamaica by virtue of getting their sixth hold on the Caribbean cup was invited to this year’s tournament which will be held in Chile.

Jamaica has been thrown in the “lion’s den” with former champions Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Not many people give Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz a chance of progressing to the second round of Copa America 2015.

However, despite what the general public believes, coach Winfred Schafer and his staff believes that Jamaica can compete and finish strongly.

“It’s a tough group, but we want to go there and play good football and show the world that Jamaica is a good team with good players,” the German shared at the press launch of new kit partners Romai on the Kingston waterfront.

The next 24 months will prove how competent and how deep Jamaica squad is as they compete in high octane competitions. The ‘Reggae Boyz’ after completing their assignment in South America, will head for the CONCACAF Gold Cup July 7-July 26 in the USA and Canada.

To compose a squads with depth and quality might prove to be a challenge based on the pool of players that are available. However, there are some exciting new young players such as Dino Williams, Allan Ottey and Romeo Parkes who have done well for there local clubs and welcome the opportunity to explode on the world scene.

Coach Schaefer was full of praise for Reading’s 22-year-old defender Michael Hector and he expects him to do well. He’s a big talent and his passport is cleared… “I tried for three or four months to get him and it wasn’t easy as he thought he had a chance to play for England. I am just happy that he has come to us.”

The well travelled coach Schaefer is still in hot pursuit of Norwich City striker, 27-year-old Lewis Grabban. Grabban, who scored 12 goals for his club this season, was unable to get his passport in time for Copa America even with high-level intervention as it said there is some discrepancy with his birth certificate and that of his grandmother, but coach Schaefer hopes that he will come for the Gold Cup.

The JFF has secured a new kit sponsor with Dubai-based Romai in a US$4.8 million (approx J$670 million) deal over four years. The former Cameroon coach thinks the potential for growth is immense. Romai is a new company, but with these two big tournaments everybody in the world will know Romai. The general public is expecting Jamaica to do well so they can secure quality friendly matches as they press towards qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

Winfried Schäfer has named Jamaica’s 23-man squad who left the island for Chile last Thursday. Former Derby County and England Under-19 international Giles Barnes, who only made his debut for the Reggae Boyz in March of this year, is included after his fine MLS form with Houston Dynamo. Premier League duo Wes Morgan and Adrian Mariappa will also be integral to the Caribbean outfit’s first ever Copa América campaign, where it takes on the competition’s two most-successful nations.

Goalkeepers: Ryan Thompson (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Duwayne Kerr (Sarpsborg 08), Dwayne Miller (Syrianska).

Defenders: Wes Morgan (Leicester City), Jermaine Taylor (Houston Dynamo), Michael Hector (Reading), Daniel Gordon (Karlsruher), Adrian Mariappa (Crystal Palace), Hughan Gray (Waterhouse FC), Kemar Lawrence (NY Red Bulls).

Midfielders: Je-Vaughn Watson (FC Dallas), Rodolph Austin (Leeds United), Joel Grant (Yeovil), Lance Laing (FC Edmonton), Garath McCleary (Reading), Joel McAnuff (Leyton Orient).

Forwards: Allan Ottey (Mobay United), Giles Barnes (Houston Dynamo), Darren Mattocks (Vancouver), Simon Dawkins (Derby County), Deshorn Brown (Valarenga), Romeo Parkes (Isidro Metapan), Dino Williams (Mobay United).

Jamaica will not play any friendlies before it starts its campaign against Uruguay on June 13, with matches against Paraguay and Argentina to follow in Group B.