KINGSTON, Jamaica – Independence Park Limited’s General Manager Major Desmon Brown says the newly installed lights at the National Stadium are up to standard, but a decision was already taken by Concacaf last week to move the start time of Jamaica’s World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

The Reggae Boyz were set to play the Dominican Republic in Group E action in the second round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying at 6:30 pm. However, the match’s start time was uncertain due to the stadium’s lights not meeting the standard requirement.

The Sports Ministry reportedly imported lights over the weekend in a bid to have the match start at its originally scheduled time, but Concacaf’s venue coordinator Patrick Beckles confirmed that the match would be played at 3:30 pm instead.

Major Brown says a successful inspection was carried out on Tuesday, but Concacaf had already made its decision regarding the new start time.

Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson expressed disappointment with the situation, noting that it will affect supporter turnout.