Joy, relief as Girlz join teammates

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Joy and relief were etched on the faces of young Reggae Girlz Shanise Bowen and Shantel Bailey when they arrived at the Ramada Plaza hotel here after being given the green light to travel from Miami.

The two spent an agonising day and night in the USA after American Airlines desk staff refused to check them in for their connection to San Jose on Wednesday due to a visa technicality.

Their delay caused some anxiety for the Jamaican contingent ahead of the CONCACAF Under-17 World Cup qualifying game against Canada last night at the Morera Soto Stadium.

Mexico were down to face Panama in the other Group A fixture.

Lost for words, defender Bowen said: "I'm very happy because I thought I wasn't coming."

Said Bailey: "I cried and if I was sent home I would feel bad." She however burst into laughter, relief evident on her face.

When the girls appeared where their teammates were lunching, a loud cheer erupted, followed by bear hugs and greetings.

Head of delegation Lorraine Scringer, who spent the better part of Wednesday with the two players before continuing to San Jose, said she was relieved it all ended well.

"I'm just happy for the girls because they were really devastated, especially when they heard they had to return to Jamaica, and they cried.

"If they had to go back to Jamaica I don't know how they would manage," said Scringer.

Neither player was named in head coach Vin Blaine's team for last night's match.

"We're happy that they will be joining us, but they won't play in tonight's (last night's) game... if they get here soon enough, they may change, but won't play," said Blaine.

The matter involving the pair was resolved after Costa Rican immigration officials contacted American Airlines on the matter requesting that the players be flown here, at which point they were granted visitors' visas.

The situation in Miami was a serial to a prior six-hour delay in the Girlz's departure from Kingston on Tuesday as American Airlines flight AA 628 to Miami was delayed after the Boeing 737 developed mechanical problems.

That delay ended with the Jamaica group of 16 players and five officials missing their connection from Miami to San Jose and had to overnight in Florida.

General Manager of teams at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Howard Bell, in a widely circulated press release, said "thankfully the situation is now sorted out".

"We're really thankful and grateful to the Jamaican Consulate in Miami for their assistance in getting the matter resolved," the release said.

The JFF release also sought to recognise the roles of the Costa Rican FA, CONCACAF and American Airlines in ensuring that the matter came to a favourable resolution.

Jamaica will face Mexico tomorrow and then wrap up the preliminary round on Monday.

In the opening set of games in the tournament on Wednesday which will qualify two CONCACAF teams to the Women's Under-17 World Cup slated for Trinidad in September, USA obliterated Haiti 9-0, while hosts Costa Rica blew away the Cayman Island 7-0 in Group B.

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