Hubert Busby, head coach of Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz football team, is confident that the team’s recent international friendly game against Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago was the right tonic heading into the Concacaf Women’s Qualifiers.

The Jamaican women are drawn in Group B for the Concacaf Women’s Qualifiers, facing off against Guyana, Nicaragua, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda. Their first match is against Dominica on November 29 at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St Lucia.

The stakes are high. Only the winner of each group will advance to the Concacaf Women’s Championship, which serves as the final gateway to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The semi-finalists will secure automatic qualification, while the finalists will also book their spots at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

“The match in Trinidad was a great precursor to the Concacaf qualifiers,” Busby told the Jamaica Observer.

“Like life, things are never perfect, and as the saying goes, you can only control the controllables. There were many things off the field that we, as a federation, staff, and players, needed to cope with,” he added in apparent reference to last week’s passage of Hurricane Melissa across Jamaica.

BUSBY… as a staff, we are pleased with the group’s performance, especially during such trying circumstances (Photo: Observer file)

“However, we remained focused on the task. And for that reason, we will be better for the experience moving forward.

“Our objective is straightforward; we must win our next match against Dominica in St Lucia on the 29th of this month,” Busby affirmed.

The Reggae Girlz put in a strong performance against hosts Trinidad and Tobago, winning 4-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, with Jody Brown scoring a brace and Natasha Thomas and Tianna Harris adding to the other goals. The match was the first meeting between the teams in seven years.

Busby was pleased with the team’s efforts, especially given the challenging circumstances.

“As a staff, we are pleased with the group’s performance, especially during such trying circumstances. We were also satisfied with the performance of the younger players, some of whom it was in their first senior camp and debut,” Busby said.

The win has boosted the team’s morale and confidence, and Busby is keen to build on the momentum as they head into the qualifiers.

“Winning is always the goal, and the course helps boost the team’s morale and confidence. However, we also wanted to focus on performance. Overall, we believe the team met the objectives,” explained the head coach.

Busby said the coaching staff will continue to refine aspects of the team’s play.

“We implemented a new formation, but our playing principles remained the same. Within our tactical framework, we can still improve our transition, maintaining possession, and overall team defending. More specifically, our counter-pressing,” Busby stated.

Despite the road ahead being tough, Busby remains confident and focused on the goal.

“This is only the first round of qualifiers; the journey to Brazil has just begun. It will be challenging, but we remain confident and focused on the goal,” he ended.

The Reggae Girlz will be looking to building on their momentum from the previous two FIFA World Cup tournaments. After making their debut in 2019, where they lost all three group games, they improved significantly four years. At the 2023 World Cup, Jamaica advanced to the last 16 after securing a 1-0 win over Panama and holding both France and Brazil to draws. That marked a historic achievement for the team and Jamaican football.

With the 2027 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the Reggae Girlz are looking to continue their progress and make a deeper impact on the global stage.

In this August 31, 2018 file photo, Jamaica’s Deneisha Blackwood (right) evades a challenge from Jenelle Cunningham of Trinidad and Tobago during the Concacaf Caribbean Women’s Qualifier inside the National Stadium. Jamaica won 4-1. Photo: Observer file

Jamaica’s Allyson Swaby (foreground) and France’s Kadidiatou Diani fight for the ball during the Women’s World Cup Group F football match at Sydney Football Stadium in Australia on July 23, 2023. Photo: AFP