According to Reggae Girlz Chantelle Swaby, Jamaica’s Cinderella run at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup was largely due to the experience garnered by the women playing together over the previous four years.

Jamaica’s first Fifa Women’s World Cup appearance came in France in 2019, when the Reggae Girlz lost all three group games to Brazil, Italy, and Australia — surrendering 12 goals and scoring one in the process.

The Reggae Girlz, who are ranked 43rd in the world, have made significant progress since then, and on this occasion — their second appearance at the global showpiece — have made history by qualifying for the tournament’s round of 16, the first by any Caribbean team, male or female, youth or senior.

They drew 0-0 with both fifth-ranked France and eighth-ranked Brazil, and defeated 52nd-ranked Panama 1-0 to reach the knockout stages.

Swaby, who plays central defence alongside her younger sister Allyson, believes that the maturity displayed by the players, particularly in the defensive unit, has been important to the team’s performance thus far in the competition.

“In 2019, we brought in a lot of new players. I think, especially even for me, my first time with the team was in 2018 when we qualified [for the World Cup] in Haiti, and since then we’ve been able to play together for the next three years,” Swaby said.

“Since the World Cup, we’ve been able to play games and sort of rotate the same pool of players, and I believe the level has also increased with the players who are now on the team.”

“I think the experience that we’ve been able to create, as well as the many times we’ve been together since the last World Cup, have helped us with our defence,” Swaby, who previously played for Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League, added.

Swaby, who signed a deal with FC Fleury 91 of D1 Arkema in France through 2024, added that solidifying the coaching staff and management teams over the period has also contributed to the team’s growth.

“I mean, obviously we have been gone through a bunch of different coaches and management teams that I think that probably interrupt the flow of us developing as a team,” the 25-year-old Swaby said.

“However, once I believe we were able to solidify our coaching staff and management team, I believe we were able to build off the players we had and build them with what those coaches had to offer.”

“I am definitely proud, especially as a defender, because that is my main job on the team during the game, making sure that I am doing my job and that the players around me are as well. Doing our job is really good because I take pride in just taking my job on the field seriously,” Swaby, who was born in West Hartford, Connecticut, said.