My “Brazil World Cup” chat group of knowledgeable football aficionados reminded me that Jamaica’s football has been worse off, but perhaps not by much.

We were embarrassingly disqualified from the 1986 Fifa World Cup. For our qualification game against Canada, I was actually named in a 40-man training squad. It was fortuitous I was away at college and unable to leave school. A week later the squad was halved and I was ignominiously jettisoned before a training session or ball kicked. My ad hoc selection, squad reduction, and subsequent Fifa expulsion, epitomised the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) of the day.

Last-minute travel notices, overnighting on airport floors, stranded for days in Haiti, relying on “Baby Doc” for shelter and food, were some of my not-so-fond memories of the Jamaica Under-20 football programme. Youth and the thrill of representing Jamaica over-rode those minor indignities. But sub-amateurish days should have been long gone and certainly inappropriate when dealing with high-value, professional footballers. The players’ outrage and the bay for blood is merited. Captain Horace Burrell’s domineering personality had temporarily rebranded the JFF, but the organisation relied heavily on his strong will, buttressed by the master coach and politician that was Renee Simoes. It was unsustainable and even their aura fell prey to the inevitable.

For the most recent iteration, the JFF general secretary has fallen on his sword. But the important question is whether the JFF suffers from individual or institutional incompetence, or both. JFF executives are not above individual criticism or reproach. But the convenience of throwing individuals under the bus can mask underlying issues. Competent individuals can be undermined by internal or external institutional fragilities.

The JFF is not fit for purpose and the need for a comprehensive modernisation, impatient of debate. Concacaf has undertaken a review of the statutes which will lead to better congressional representation (clubs, schools, etc). But will it address the real management of the game? The Jamaica Premier League’s progress under Chris Williams is instructive, as steering that troubled entity through COVID-infested waters was no mean feat. A blend of experienced, dedicated administrators, mixed with people of solid business acumen and credential is needed. It’s a marriage of necessity that requires egos and ambitions to be tempered. No one knows it all. Learning and growing from the healthy tensions will prevent throwing out gains already made.

As to the football itself, where are the player statistics? What was Damion Lowe’s pass completion rate against Suriname? How many kilometres are we covering collectively and individually? Professional football is managed using data that qualified “nerds” pour over. Player valuations are data-based, so we do our footballers a disservice by not compiling and analysing at every level. We are woefully behind when it comes to using technology in sports. I’m reminded of a West Indies cricket selector validating a surprise pick because of a bower’s “extra pace”. Of course, no one had bothered to use basic technology, a speed gun, to measure this perceived swiftness. It turned out it was just his awkward style that initially disguised an otherwise batter-friendly “military medium”, brutally exposed at Test level. Data analysis is fundamental to player and tactical development in the modern game. The sports-bra-like ensemble, visible when players remove their shirts in many professional football leagues, monitors and records everything, crystalising the phrase “you can run but can’t hide”. But we have to be habitually inclined towards this new football sorcery. A technical review and modernisation of how we play must tandem organisation restructuring.

The equally important needs of the Reggae Girlz and more age-group teams are straining an administration already inadequate for just the Boyz. The question of financial resources looms large and there is no doubt, it, and the limited options in the region, played their part in the Suriname debacle, irrespective of individual failures.

Why? Who? How?

So before the JFF replaces the“Gen-Sec”, it needs a new constitution, properly answering the question “Why”, its purpose and measurable objectives. It needs an appropriate governance and management structure, the “Who”, representing the collective skillsets and representation suitable for managing and developing the biggest sport in the world, in the “biggest little country” in the world.

It must address the “How”, a transparent process to appoint the “Who”, in order to avail itself of the best. An experienced, qualified chief executive officer is paramount, empowered to steer the JFF as quickly as possible from the crippling vestiges of yesteryear, unlocking Jamaica’s significant football potential.

The wealth of our athletic talent gives us an authentic qualification chance at every football world cup. This last effort by the Boyz was particularly disappointing given the player assets at our disposal. The Girlz still have a shot and must be given every opportunity without distraction.

Let’s not waste the opportunity “Suriname-Gate” presents.

Editor’s note: Chris Dehring is the former WICB chief marketing executive and CEO of ICC CWC 2007. With over 30 years in the business of sports, he has negotiated multimillion-dollar TV and sports rights deals across the world, including the English Premier League, WICB and ICC events, and led the Caribbean’s hosting of Cricket World Cup in 2007. In 2001, he conceptualised and launched Sportsmax, the region’s first 24/7 sports channel, now broadcast in 26 countries, and was an integral founder of the famous ‘Mound’ party stand. He represented Jamaica in both football and cricket at the under-19 level, representing Real Mona and Kingston Cricket Club in the Major League and Senior Cup, respectively.