Daniel Ricketts is confident that Wadada United will line up next Wednesday for their Jamaica Premier League play-off game against Montego Bay United at The University of the West Indies (UWI)-Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at The UWI, Mona.

The teams will meet to earn the right to replace The UWI Football Club, which had withdrawn from the competition just before the start, resulting in 11 teams contesting the 2020-2021 season that ends tomorrow.

Yesterday, Ricketts, the head coach and the man who has single-handedly kept the former national champions going over the past few years, showed the Jamaica Observer the brand new certificate authenticating the legal ownership of the club and said their bank account should be activated by today, two of the main criteria required by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

“We are confident that we will be playing that game on Wednesday,” Ricketts told the Observer yesterday. “It has been a hectic last few days, but we managed to get everything sorted and we will be ready for the game.”

It had been a race against time for Ricketts to get the change of name from the original Wadadah FC, that was owned by the late Gene Grey and which had not been transferred, as they had until today (Friday, October 1) to get their books in order.

Before they can qualify to play the one-game play-off the teams had to satisfy a series of new stipulations mandated by Fifa, and Wadada had struggled to meet the deadlines.

According to the rules of the competition, which suspended promotion and relegation due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, if a team withdraws the team that had placed 11th the last time there was a relegation and the team that was third in the most recent Premier League play-offs, will meet in a one-game play-off.

Montego Bay United (MBU), meanwhile, are ready for the game, as having played in the Premier League only two seasons ago, their structures were in place and they had fulfilled all the obligations asked of them.

“We have been ready,” said Orville Powell, MBU’s president. “All our systems have been in place and we are just now awaiting the word that the game is on.”

There is one further hurdle for both teams as they are required to present negative PCR tests for the game on Wednesday for the delegation of 30 people — 20 players and 10 officials — an exercise that could cost up to $660,000.

While Powell says they have no issues with the cost, Ricketts said they had to seek assistance with the huge bill. “We are currently asking a few persons to assist us financially to have the PCR tests done. We have been in contact with Mr Spencer from the Baywest Wellness Clinic, who is also willing to assist,” he said.

“In terms of on-the-field play, I do believe we are ready to go,” Ricketts said. “We are about 60 to 70 per cent on fitness, the rest will be determination and need.”