Whoever it was that came up with the idea and the will to implement the recent home and away Friendly International football tie against Trinidad and Tobago deserves high commendation.

It has been a noticeable shortcoming in relation to Jamaica’s football in recent years, that outside of competitions such as the Caribbean Cup and of course FIFA World Cup qualifying, the nation has had only minimal contact with our Caribbean neighbours on the field of play.

From this distance, this newspaper gets the distinct impression that Jamaica could have helped itself considerably during the recent failed World Cup qualifying campaign had there been an attempt to organise friendlies with our neighbours in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

We are aware of the extremely backward view that our Caribbean neighbours cannot help in the forward movement of Jamaican football. Not only is that attitude unseemly and utterly selfish, it ignores the reality that international games — regardless of the quality of the opposition — provide a level of exposure for players which simply cannot be achieved in any other way.

The value is especially emphasised when young, inexperienced players get the opportunity to travel and compete in unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances.

Also, as those of us who have followed Jamaica’s football for any length of time are well aware, Caribbean neighbours have consistently held their own with the Reggae Boyz. It is true that the squad assembled for the two games against Trinidad and Tobago was mostly experimental and largely local-based. However, the 0-1 and 0-2 losses to the twin-island republic underline our point regarding the competitiveness of Caribbean football.

Hopefully, the JFF will see the value of organising yet more games with CFU member countries as coach Mr Winfried Schafer explores the options in terms of player talent available to him and begins the long process of building towards 2018 qualification.

Separate and apart from everything else, it seems to this newspaper that it is in the enlightened self-interest of all CFU Caribbean countries to vigorously compete with each other as part of the drive to get regional football closer to world standard.

We are at one with Mr Schafer that at this point in time the final results for the Reggae Boyz should not be of paramount importance. We say this even while recognising that by now — following the two losses of recent days — he has become very aware of the infuriatingly childish jingoism which colours relations between Jamaica and a few of its regional neighbours, not least Trinidad and Tobago.

We believe that for right now and the immediate future, the priority must be for Mr Schafer to assess Jamaica’s top players — local and overseas. Of equal importance there must be the opportunity for players to appreciate the coach’s football philosophy and vision.

We believe that up to now Mr Schafer has done well. We look forward to a satisfactory conclusion of contractual arrangements with the JFF. That done, it cannot be overemphasised that he must be given time and scope to execute his vision, not just with 2018 qualification in mind but moreso the sustainable advancement of Jamaica’s football.