AS Cedella Marley has given her commitment to the Jamaica Reggae Girlz as their ambassador, the call for assistance from private and public entities in Jamaica and the Diaspora for the girls is still being echoed with the team only one stint away from being the first female team from the Caribbean to play in the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

The Reggae Girlz defeated St Lucia and the Dominican Republic recently.

Marley, global ambassador for the Jamaica Women’s Football Programme, and CEO of the Marley Group of Companies, cheered the team on at both matches with a delegation of family and staff members including her sister, Karen Marley.

After the winning match against St Lucia, the team presented Marley with a signed football to commemorate

the occasion.

The team is presently ranked fourth in the region, but still funding remains the greatest challenge with little to no support from public and private entities and only individual donations making up the numbers.

As ambassador, Marley has thrown her full support behind the team helping to raise awareness of their goal and more than $100,000 in sponsorship. These funds were used to cover the costs of training, housing, and transporting the team to the

first round.

The training programme prior to Dominican Republic included a two-week camp at St

Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida.

On June 30, a fund-raiser campaign was launched on the popular crowdfunding site IndieGoGo.com. These funds will be used to prepare the team for the CFU Tournament finals next month. Supporters can make donations to the team and receive exclusive merchandise from the Marley group of companies, including Tuff Gong/Island UK, Marley Coffee and House of Marley, as well as signed collectors’ items donated by soccer legend Pele and the fastest man in the world,

Usain Bolt.

This tournament will serve as the official qualification tournament in the Caribbean Zone for both the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Final Round will be held in Trinidad and Tobago, August

17-27.

2014 CFU WOMEN’S CARIBBEAN CUP – FINAL ROUND

Trinidad & Tobago

August 19-26, 2014

GROUP A: Bermuda, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico

GROUP B: Antigua & Barbuda, Martinique, St Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago

SCHEDULE

Tuesday – August 19, 2014

*Jamaica v Puerto Rico

*Haiti v Bermuda

Wednesday – August 20, 2014

*Antigua & Barbuda v Martinique

*Trinidad & Tobago v St Kitts & Nevis

Thursday – August 21, 2014

*Bermuda v Jamaica

*Puerto Rico v Haiti

Friday – August 22, 2014

*St Kitts & Nevis v Martinique

*Trinidad & Tobago v Antigua & Barbuda

Saturday – August 23, 2014

*Puerto Rico v Bermuda

*Haiti v Jamaica

Sunday – August 24, 2014

*Antigua & Barbuda v St Kitts & Nevis

*Trinidad & Tobago v Martinique

Tuesday – August 26, 2014

*Match for Third Place: Group A runner-up v Group B runner-up

*Final: Group A winner v Group B winner