National senior women’s football team Head Coach Xavier Gilbert says the two-game friendly against Brazil will act as a catalyst for the players’ growth and development.

The first game will be played in Recife on June 1, while the second will be played in Salvador on June 4.

The games are likely to help Brazil prepare for the summer Olympic Games in Paris, while the Jamaicans will get a much-needed challenge to rekindle their desire for international play after last competing against Canada in September.

It is always good to secure games during the FIFA international window,” Gilbert said.

“These games not only expose talent, but it also keeps the team active, which helps us with our ranking and quality of play. Because the more we play together, especially against strong opponents, the better the team develops, and we also get to work on various things both offensively and defensively.”

The Jamaicans first played Brazil at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and lost 3-0. However, the Reggae Girlz exacted revenge when they held Brazil to a 0-0 draw in the 2023 edition, eliminating them in the process and advanced the Jamaicans to the round of 16.

“I expect the team to give good performance despite that it has been a while since these players have played together,” Gilbert said. “The good thing is that the players are actively engaged in their respective leagues.

“So all we have to do is keep things as simple or as near to what we did before and throughout the World Cup to ensure our competitiveness. It will be a little different, but it is not impossible for us to repeat our performance against Brazil.”

Since that Olympic qualification match in Canada, members of the World Cup team have withdrawn from national participation, citing money owed and mistreatment by the Jamaica Football Federation, among other reasons.

However, it has yet to be verified, how many, if any, of the players from the World Cup last summer will make the trip.