JAMAICA’S Under-17s were treated like celebrities on Monday when they took the day off from training and visited the city mall just a few blocks from their Hilton Princess Hotel.

Having whipped Trinidad and Tobago 5-1 the previous day, the coaching staff thought the boys needed rest to recuperate and as a result they participated in a team-building exercise with a stroll through the mall.

The players were placed into three groups each of which was headed by a member of the coaching staff and under the watchful eyes of their security detail.

But the reaction from the people of San Pedro Sula to the players must have caught them by surprise. Almost every move they made was greeted by adoring fans who all wanted a photo opportunity with them.

Decked in their national colours of black, gold and green, they lit up the mall travelling in droves as they went in and out of various stores.

Fans took selfies, families asked for permission to pose with them or the players would be greeted by the shout of “Jamaica, yea man” followed by the occasional thumbs up.

The young Jamaicans got a taste of what brand Jamaica is all about, how powerful it can be and just how much this small nation is appreciated on the international scene.

— Howard Walker