ORLANDO, Florida— Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore has put his ambition at the Concacaf Gold Cup on the table, the boldest statement yet from the Jamaican tactician. 

The Reggae Boyz coach is now determined to lift the coveted trophy after it eluded him in 2017 when his team were beaten finalists, and 2019 when they made the semi-finals.  

But the Boyz have had a sniff of the trophy back in 2015 when German Winfried Schaefer led the Jamaicans to their first final. 

Whitmore, a former Boyz midfield standout, wants to go one victory better this time around in the 16-team tournament. 

“I want a good showing and I want to be the first local [Jamaican] coach to win this tournament, and this is very important, and it starts tomorrow [today] afternoon against Suriname,” Whitmore told a virtual press conference on Sunday. 

“I think it’s an interesting tournament and we are here to win…as a coach this competition has eluded me 2017 and 2019, so we are looking forward for a good show in this 2021 edition,” he added. 

Jamaica, ranked 45

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 by Fifa, will kickstart their Group C campaign with a match against 136

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-rated Suriname at Exploria Stadium here on Monday. Match time is 6:30 pm (5:30 pm Jamaica time]. 

The other group match between Costa Rica and Guadeloupe will follow at the same venue at 9:00pm (8:00 pm Jamaica time). 

Whitmore says to pave the path to ultimate glory starts with Monday’s opening game.  

“We went to the final 2017 and we went to the semi-final in 2019, so the whole preparation starts tomorrow night [today] and for us to reach the final we have to do well, and I think we have the guys to go out there and perform. 

“We want to leave nothing to chance, and we are just here to prepare and give our best at all times,” he noted. 

For the first time in recent history, the Boyz enter the Gold Cup without lingering issues regarding wages and working condition. Before coming here, the players and the governing Jamaica Football Federation were able to settle their differences and agree to terms. 

This, according to staff and players in camp, has redound to a settled and peaceful work environment. 

 “I think for this tournament we are comfortable with what we are doing and with what we have achieved so far, and we are looking for the greatest to happen in this tournament,” said Whitmore. 

In their one-week training camp leading up to the start of the competition, some players of the 23-man squad arrived late for one reason or another, but the coach believes the impact of that was minimal in pursuit of broader technical and tactical goals. 

 “A couple of players joined up late, but we are in a tournament and what we need to do is get the first game out of the way and I think we have enough ammunition to sustain that,” Whitmore stated. 

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s most high-profile player, Bayer Leverkusen Leon Bailey, is expected to play a key role in the country’s drive for its first hold on the Gold Cup trophy.  

Still, Whitmore does not want the speedy and skillful winger to burden himself needlessly in the desire to do well for the team. 

“Leon Bailey is here, and he wants to do well. Just yesterday [Saturday] we were having a conversation where he had only scored one time for the country, and we don’t want to put him under any excessive pressure. But I think he is in the right frame of mind, and he is here to do well in this tournament,” Whitmore concluded. 

Sean Williams