IT appears, from all indications, that Mr Winfried Schafer will remain as head coach of Jamaica’s national men’s football team for the next four years at least.

According to Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Captain Horace Burrell, the federation is in discussion with several sponsors, and “it is now only a matter of time before we put pen to paper and sign a new contract”.

That is most encouraging, especially when coupled with the fact that a coach of Mr Schafer’s calibre is eager to remain here.

Our enthusiasm with this development is two-fold. The first is that we believe that Mr Schafer has the ability to guide Jamaica to the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia. The second, and even more important, is his appreciation for the tremendous economic benefits that the sport offers.

Anyone who has been seriously following football will know that there are huge sums of money involved in the game. Many youngsters have been pulled out of poverty through their involvement in the game; significant numbers of adults have made more than a decent living from football; and the economies of many countries have benefited from the sport.

We accept, of course, that in the countries where all this is more prevalent there exists a footballing culture that is deep and traditional. That, however, doesn’t prevent us from laying the foundation for a similar experience.

The United States, for instance, doesn’t have a huge football following, when compared to other sports played there. In fact, the game has only grown in popularity there since 1994 when they hosted the FIFA World Cup finals and, even with that achievement, current coach Mr Jurgen Klinsmann has correctly analysed that what he has been able to do in the past three years is merely to lay the foundation for future growth.

“It’s really just starting to connect the dots that you always talk about in the soccer landscape in the United States: Getting connected to the youth level, to coaches’ education, getting connected really well with MLS,” Mr Klinsmann told Sports Illustrated in an interview published last month.

Not surprisingly, Mr Schafer’s approach is similar, because his and Mr Klinsmann’s philosophy of the game was shaped by Germany, a country that has made itself a trademark as it relates to football.

Mr Schafer, in his letter to the Jamaican people published in this week’s Sunday Observer, holds the same desire for Jamaica.

“If we support our talents in a modern, professional way, if we build upon a base of expertise and long-term planning, we will be able to establish an impressive trademark in global football,” he said.

To further make his point about the importance of trademarks, Mr Schafer pointed to the ability of Brazilian footballers to secure lucrative contracts across the world, simply because football officials expect exceptional talent from Brazilian players.

Jamaica has already established itself as a trademark in the area of track and field, making our athletes in great demand the world over.

The same can be done with football. What we need is to see the game as a business, even as we continue to enjoy the entertainment it offers.