AS he urges Jamaicans to throw support behind the Reggae Boyz, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts says he welcomes fans at the National Stadium, even if the 5,000 spectators allowed for the match against the United States represents only a fraction of the venue’s capacity.

Jamaica’s two previous Concacaf World Cup qualifiers at home — played behind closed doors as per Government’s guidelines to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus — saw them losing 0-3 to Panama in September and drawing 0-0 with Canada last month.

The JFF, which had been exploring the possibility of hosting matches on foreign soil, got a boost when the Jamaican Government recently decided it would allow 5,000 vaccinated people to attend the November 16 qualifier versus the US.

“This unity needs to be visible; having fans, the 12th man in the stands, at the Stadium is indeed a huge part of the process,” Ricketts said during a virtual press conference on Monday.

The Theodore Whitmore-coached Reggae Boyz are sixth in the eight-team table with five points from six matches and are desperately in need of wins after a patchy start to their qualifying campaign.

Mexico lead with 14 points, ahead of United States (11), Canada (10), and Panama (eight), Costa Rica (six), El Salvador (five), and Honduras (three).

The teams in the round robin, home-and-away format are vying for three direct places to the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The team that finishes fourth will be involved in an intercontinental play-off for another spot.

Football fans wishing to attend the Boyz versus US match have to purchase tickets through an online portal, called the event authorisation system, on a first-come-first serve basis.

Noting the move as a “pilot”, Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie said only people 18 years and older with proof of being fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus at least two weeks prior to match day will be approved to purchase tickets.

McKenzie, who said the decision to permit a limited number of walk-in spectators came after a coordinated effort involving government ministries and State-run sporting agencies, added that the online application is likely to be used for other events outside of sports.

Though the stadium has a seating capacity of roughly 28,000, Ricketts said only 4,000 bleachers tickets ($2,000 each) and 1,000 grandstand tickets ($7,700 each) will be available for purchase. He said that vending will be permitted on the periphery of the venue, but not inside the stadium.

“Through a series of initiatives, discussions, and input from experienced private and public officials and football administrators, sport in Jamaica is looking to slowly but surely turn the corner on a COVID-19-travelled road,” the JFF boss added.

Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton said limiting the spectators to 5,000 was a decision not solely based on “clinical consideration”. He said that number was thought to be “manageable” considering that the Government’s move to allow spectators was a “pilot” which involved testing new software to handle the applications for ticket purchases.

While noting that people congregating increases the risk of virus spread, Tufton insisted that mask-wearing, sanitising, and physical distancing requirements must be adhered to.