The depth and strength of the Reggae Boyz team will be crucial if Jamaica are to have a successful campaign in what will be a busy two months next summer, says Head Coach Theodore Whitmore.

Jamaica face a tough two months between mid-July when the Concacaf Gold Cup starts and right afterwards turn their attention to the Fifa World Cup qualifying for Qatar 2022 where they have already qualified for the third round in the Concacaf region.

“If Jamaica, who were semi-finalists in the last three Concacaf Gold Cup tournaments, are to get back to at least the last four, they will play at least six games in the continental tournament that is set to end on August 1 before the World Cup qualifying is to get underway is going to be very important,” he told journalists in a virtual press conference after Monday’s first-ever draw for the first round of the Concacaf Gold Cup. “It is something myself and the technical staff have been looking at in the past few weeks; we will make a decision how we approach both tournaments.”

The Jamaica Football Federation has not made it a secret that they are seeking to bolster the squad that won the Concacaf Nations Cup League B and the Reggae Boyz who will play in Group C in the Gold Cup, along with Costa Rica, Suriname and a qualifier, will need to have fit players ready to play.

“That is something that we have to sit as the technical staff and look at how we will approach these games,” Whitmore said. “We know next summer is going to be difficult but it is how we acquit ourselves and we are trying to put the best we can put out so we can be successful.”

Having more than one national player on the same club team could be a positive for the Reggae Boyz, he said, when asked about Damion Lowe recently joining Junior Flemmings at Phoenix Uprising.

“It is very important because at the national team we will not have most of them at our disposal. It’s very important that we can have our players, three or four playing together. That augurs well for us as the national team.”

Despite the presence of Concacaf powerhouse teams such as defending champions Mexico and many-time champions the United States, Whitmore dismissed the idea of a pre-tournament favourite.

“All of the teams that are going to be participating in the Gold Cup are going to be strong, so we don’t have to look at it from the perspective of Mexico or the US or Costa Rica; every team is going to be strong, the teams have to go out there and acquit themselves.”

— Paul Reid