FINALLY, Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will have their day against an Argentina outfit in a proposed away friendly international set for February 10, it was disclosed yesterday.

Since his return to the presidency of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell has made numerous attempts to tie-up a game with the South American giants and two-time World Cup champions, but each time the two parties look set to ink a deal, talks break down.

The last time both came close to making the game a possibility was back in 2008 when it was suggested that the two nations — far apart in football history and quality — could meet in London on May 31 of that year.

But now that a deal has been agreed to, Captain Burrell was an elated man when he gave details of the long-awaited game from overseas yesterday.

“This is a huge game for Jamaica, and to be able to pull this off as a team not playing in the upcoming World Cup, is like a dream come true,” he said.

Captain Burrell, on his second stint at the helm of Jamaica’s football, noted that president of the Argentine Football Association Julio Grondona was always receptive to the idea of playing against Jamaica.

“I kept expressing a deep interest to Mr Grondona for having a game with his country and he had promised me that one day it would happen, and now that day is here,” said the Jamaican businessman, who also serves as an Executive Committee member of CONCACAF.

Captain Burrell said further the game will be played in the seaside city of Mar del Plata, which is located 249 miles south of the Argentina capital of Buenos Aires and the Jamaican contingent should arrive three days prior to kick off.

Wednesday, February 10, is not a FIFA-sanctioned date, which means that both Jamaica and Argentina may not have the services of their top European stars as clubs are reluctant to release their players outside the official FIFA calendar.

But even without the star power of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, Javier Zanetti of Italy’s Internazionale, Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano and Atletico Madrid’s Maxi Rodríguez, Argentina’s home-based professionals led by Juan Sebastian Veron could still prove an overwhelming force even for the strongest of Jamaican teams.

“Yes, even without the top players this is a David and Goliath situation, but let me tell you that Jamaicans are courageous people and we will fight to the last man on the field against this powerhouse,” the JFF boss said.

For the match-up, Jamaica (ranked 81 by FIFA) will look to their Scandinavia and USA pros to form the basis of the team “with the best crop of local talent”.

“We are looking at developing young players as we look to Brazil 2014, so this game will give some of these youngsters the chance to perform against a big team; this will form part of moulding them for tomorrow,” Captain Burrell explained.

Pinning down Argentina is in keeping with the JFF’s announced game-a-month initiative. Already, the Boyz are down to tackle Canada at the National Stadium on Sunday, January 31.

The Argentina game will mark the return to the bench of coach Diego Maradona, who will end a two-month FIFA ban on Friday. Maradona picked up the ban and fined 25,000 Swiss Francs for his post-match rant following the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay last October.

Captain Burrell was a member of the Marcel Mathier-chaired FIFA Disciplinary Committee that heard the case of the Argentine legend, regarded as one of the finest players of the game.

Argentina (rated eighth by FIFA) secured automatic qualification for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa in the summer after defeating Uruguay 1-0, but the team had struggled in the qualifiers and Maradona had received much flak for his below-par performance as a coach.

The game between the Boyz and Argentina could rank as the best Jamaica have competed in since their 0-1 loss to five-time world champions Brazil in Leicester City, England, in 2003.

Jamaica last played Argentina on June 21, 1998 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, in a Group H FIFA World Cup Finals preliminary round encounter.

Argentina’s leading all-time goalscorer Gabriel Batistuta led the then Daniel Passarella-coached team to a convincing 5-0 spanking of the Reggae Boyz with a hat-trick. The other goals were scored by the skilful Ariel Ortega.

Argentina are drawn in Group B of the South Africa World Cup Finals alongside Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece.