LIKKLE BUT TALLAWAH!
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The world is marvelling at the history-making Reggae Girlz, who on Wednesday became the first Caribbean nation to qualify for the round of 16 at a FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Jamaica held Brazil to a 0-0 draw and advanced to the round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
After conceding 12 goals in its Women’s World Cup debut in 2019, Jamaica shut out France, Panama and Brazil in consecutive games to book an improbable place in the tournament’s knockout stage.
It’s the first time since 1995 that Brazil has failed to advance out of the group stage.
READ: Reggae Girlz hold Brazil to advance to Women’s World Cup knockout round for first time
Here is what the world had to say about Jamaica’s historic qualification:
“I feel like we’ve been hugely underestimated. I don’t think anyone took us seriously. We’re resilient and we had a point to prove,” said goalkeeper Rebecca ‘Becky’ Spencer, who won the Player of the Match award after her third clean sheet of the tournament.
“Jamaica, Jamaica! They can’t believe it. #Jamaica #ReggaeGirlz,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness expressed in a tweet.
FIFA said: “On a history-making day at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Jamaica has become just the third Concacaf nation – and the first from the Caribbean – to reach the Round of 16 off the back of an outstanding defensive display as they ended Brazil’s campaign with a scoreless draw in Melbourne.”
“Jamaica rose to the occasion to see off a sizable Brazilian threat. They managed to get through the group stage without conceding a goal. Brazil’s run comes to an early close and marks an end to one of the most legendary careers in the women’s game,” Aljazeera noted.
Reuters added: “Needing a point to go through, the Reggae Girlz barely threatened to score but were tight in defence, repelling wave after wave of Brazilian attacks in a frenetic atmosphere at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.”
“Success for the ‘Reggae Girlz’ has been based on resolute defending which has seen Jamaica become one of just three teams to collect three consecutive clean sheets – Japan and Switzerland are the other two nations,” CNN stated on their official website.
“Jamaica has proven they are more than a match for some of the world’s higher-ranked nations and there was an outpouring of emotion at full-time as the magnitude of their achievements became clear,” said BBC
“A reminder that Jamaica needed crowdfunding to help get to the Women’s World Cup due to lack of support from the JFF,” ESPN FC said in a tweet.