PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will be seeking to take another major step towards World Cup qualification when they face Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) in their penultimate qualifier at the Hasely Crawford Stadium today at 7:00 pm Jamaica time.

The two Caribbean rivals last met in September when Jamaica secured a 2-0 victory in Kingston. That result continued a recent pattern of success for the Boyz, who have won four and drawn two of their last six meetings against T&T.

The Jamaican squad wrapped up its final training session on Wednesday afternoon at the match venue, with the mood in camp described as positive and focused. However, new recruit Rico Henry, who received his Jamaican passport on Tuesday, remains unavailable as he awaits clearance from the England Football Association to complete his switch of international allegiance.

Head Coach Steve McClaren says his team is approaching the fixture with full commitment and respect for their opponents.

“This is also a must-win game for us,” McClaren said. “Everywhere we go, we come to win. Trinidad are improving every game. They’re strong, powerful with the ball, and have players who can change a game. We need to defend well, and hopefully our individual players can turn it in our favour.”

McClaren, who has been at the helm for 18 months, also acknowledged the emotional backdrop to the match after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. He says the team has drawn extra motivation from the resilience of people back home.

“We’ve come here and seen the devastation first-hand,” McClaren said. “Everyone’s asking what we can do, and Damion Lowe summed it up — the best way to help is to put a smile on people’s faces by qualifying for the World Cup. That’s the motivation driving us.”

Assistant Coach Merron Gordon agrees, saying that while matches between Jamaica and T&T are always competitive, the focus remains firmly on collecting as many points as possible in the final stretch of qualifying.

“Trinidad is always tough to play against, always a test for us,” he said. “It’s never a blowout game. We came here to do our job with two games to go, and as much as we can, we want to get maximum points to carry us to the World Cup.”

Trinidad and Tobago, coached by Dwight Yorke, have had mixed fortunes in the qualifiers but will have home advantage and the backing of a lively local crowd. Yorke says his team will approach the encounter with tactical discipline and attacking intent.

“We’re aware of Jamaica’s danger,” Yorke said. “We’ve been working on our strategy, and you’ll see a bit of cat and mouse, some tactical manoeuvres, but the intention is to win the game. We have to be aggressive in and out of possession.”

Thursday’s fixture carries all the recipes of a classic regional derby — history, rivalry, and high stakes. But for both teams, with qualification in touching distance, losing is not an option.

Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McLaren makes a point during a training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday ahead of Jamaica’s World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago today. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Karoy Anderson (left) and Bobby Reid go up against each other during a training session on Wednesday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium ahead of Jamaica’s World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago today. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

YORKE…we are aware of Jamaica’s danger. We’ve been working on our strategy and you will see some tactical manoeuvres (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Wray and Nephew World Cup Banner.

Reggae Boyz striker Dujuan Richards (Photo: Garfield Robinson)