Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts credits divine intervention for what he says are positive changes it has seen in recent weeks.

The JFF has often been the subject of negative attention in recent times, with publicised disputes between executive members and players, financial issues, difficulty securing sponsorship, and also based on its teams’ bad results, especially with regard to Fifa World Cup qualification at various age group levels.

A look at comments made under JFF’s social media posts also shows general public discontent and apathy towards the JFF’s administration and some of its teams. However, in spite of all this, the federation has made a number of moves recently that have been well-received by the local football community.

Not only has the JFF appointed a new coaching staff for its senior men’s team, led by Heimir Hallgrimsson of Iceland, but it has also appointed a new general secretary, Dennis Chung, and a new marketing committee.

It also received a new team bus earlier this week, but one of the changes that received the strongest positive feedback was news that sporting brand adidas will be the team’s new kit sponsor as of January.

The JFF also announced earlier this week that the national Women’s Premier League returns on November 26, after a three-year hiatus.

Ricketts says all these positive moves were his prayers being answered.

“I believe in the Almighty, and I believe that whatever I do, I ask for his direction,” Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer. “Things will just unfold and you probably don’t even understand why and how. But it’s the work of the Almighty. What is happening now is not my call, but it’s just directions and things are certainly falling in place and we want to ensure that we get things right.”

Ricketts hopes these changes will influence other corporate bodies to support the national programmes.

“Having had a brand new general secretary, new coaching staff, new staff members at the JFF — and I’m pretty certain that there’ll be other changes relating to the secretariat, we are on a path of rebranding and it’s part of a whole revival,” he said. “So we want to encourage corporate Jamaica to come on board, give us some support because corporate Jamaica and Government entities and agencies — we must partner with them if we really want a fulsome effect on the country. We certainly want to get things right and we are intent on doing so.”