With a busy summer ahead for the Reggae Boyz, captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake cautioned his teammates against underestimating their opponents as they look to make an impact in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers as well as the Copa America.

The second round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico kicks off on June 6 at the National Stadium where Jamaica host the Dominican Republic. Three days later, they travel to take on Dominica at Windsor Park in Roseau.

Despite both countries being 150 and 180, respectively, in the FIFA World Rankings, Blake says his team need to lay down a marker as they seek to achieve their ultimate goals.

“We’re still building but we’re in a really good spot,” Blake told the Jamaica Observer. “I think the team has been together for a while now. Coach [Heimir Hallgrimsson] has identified a core group which is important. We can start to feel that we’re gelling, which is very important. Defensively, we’re very solid and we know the goals are going to come.

“These two World Cup qualifying games, we have to take them seriously. It’s about being professional, regardless of who we’re playing against and the approach is to be better every game and these two games, we’re going to aim to get better and better and it’s the perfect preparation going into the Copa (America) which is a big tournament for us.”

Blake, who recently signed a contract extension with Philadelphia Union, has been struggling with injuries since the start of this Major League Soccer season. Since being substituted in the opening 10 minutes of their game against the Seattle Sounders on May 1, he has missed the last five games with a knee injury.

However, Blake is optimistic that he’ll be fit for Jamaica’s upcoming matches.

Andre Blake of Jamaica celebrates following the victory against Panama in the third place match of the Concacaf Nations League Finals at AT&T Stadium on March 24, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo: AFP)

“I’m feeling good, it’s just a niggling injury,” he said. “I wanted to play it safe so I was taking it day by day because I thought it was the best thing to do. But I’m feeling good. I’m back out there and training now so hopefully next week, I can get a full week of training and if everything feels good, I should be available [soon]. [The games] are still a few weeks away so I’m looking forward to that and if all goes well, I should be fit and ready for those games.”

Following the World Cup qualifiers, the Reggae Boyz begin their Copa America campaign at the end of June where they take on Mexico, Ecuador and Venezuela in the USA.

While admitting that the summer staging of the South American showpiece may not be ideal, Blake is confident that they can advance from the group after failing to do so in their previous appearances in 2015 and 2016.

“All the players are excited and we’re going to see how far we can go,” he said. “Sometimes it can be tricky with the timing of these tournaments, the European players they’re going out of season so now they’re going on a break then having to cut their break short or be a little bit flat from not being in season. There are pros and cons to it but I’m hoping players can stay fit and stay sharp for the tournament. It’s going to be tricky but no excuses, we’re going to do whatever we need to do. There’s going to be a training camp leading up to it so it should be good.”

The Reggae Boyz squad for the World Cup qualifiers and the Copa America will be named this week.