With the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) now searching for a new senior men’s head coach, President Michael Ricketts says he regrets not removing Steve McClaren sooner after his failure to automatically qualify the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

McClaren flew back to England on Wednesday after resigning from his role with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz mere minutes following the team’s disastrous 0-0 draw with World Cup-bound Curacao at the National Stadium on Tuesday night.

The result meant Jamaica failed to achieve the automatic qualifying spot they were seemingly on course to get and will now have to win two games at the inter-confederation play-offs next March in Mexico.

Former Manchester United assistant McClaren, who was appointed in July 2024, leaves the Jamaica team failing to win 12 of his 23 games in charge. Along with the two draws and a defeat in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifying final round, McClaren oversaw the team’s shocking group stage exit at the Concacaf Gold Cup last June and their quarter-final defeat to the USA in the Concacaf Nations League in November 2024.

“Over the last 18 months I have given everything I have to this job,” he said in a statement during a post-match press conference on Tuesday. “Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career but football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group.”

“It is the responsibility of the leader to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team. After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as head coach of the Jamaican national team.”

Ricketts, though, had little sympathy for McClaren, telling the Jamaica Observer that the signs were there to fire him sooner.

“He would have done well in patches. Some games, for example, the Unity Cup. He would have done so very well at the Unity Cup. When we played against Guatemala here, we were convincing, beating them 3-0, but when we got to the Gold Cup, the same team beat us, so that would have shown some level of inconsistency,” he said.

“I did say to them that I was so very disappointed how the Trinidad game was handled, especially the last part of that game. I think the changes did not influence the play at all, and if we had actually won that game, would be heading to the World Cup and it’s not the first time that I’m getting that feeling. But when you look at the other side of the coin, you don’t want to make changes, the night before you have major games and major tournaments. So I was hopeful, I was optimistic, that things would have gone right.”

Ricketts says he’s embarrassed that McClaren’s side failed to complete the assignment automatically after millions were spent on the campaign.

“To say I’m disappointed is an understatement because we have invested heavily in this whole preparation process and to have dropped out when we were so very confident that we have done well, it’s painful. We really, really wanted to have qualified for this global tournament for Jamaica and for those displaced, disenfranchised Jamaicans in the west. It’s just so, so, so, so painful.”

The JFF boss was also angered by the mental approach of the team after going into the final round of qualifying as heavy favourites.

“I think [we took teams lightly]. We probably would have come with a mindset that, based on our ranking and previous results, that we could beat these teams,” said Ricketts.

“If five years ago, you had said to me that we will be in a group with Trinidad, Curacao, Bermuda [and] you will play Curacao in the last game, I would say, well, we are a shoo-in at the World Cup, but not quite so. What happens is that every single team now is catching up because every team now seems to be getting the requisite support.”

Though not yet confirmed, Ricketts is expecting to get rid off McClaren’s backroom staff which includes the England-based Ian Burchnall, Trevor Sinclair and Richard Hartis. Jamaican Merron Gordon, who’s served as assistant under McClaren, Heimir Hallgrimsson and Theodore Whitmore, will see his position under review.

The Observer has learnt that the first of several meetings to find McClaren’s replacement was held on Wednesday with the JFF’s technical committee, led by chairman Rudolph Speid, who was brought in as the senior men’s team technical advisor in August.

Ricketts says a Jamaican coach could be given the reins for their final World Cup push.

“We will reorganise, we will put a new coach, interim coach, in place. Probably make changes to the coaching staff and then we’ll see what happens hereafter,” he said.

“We have a coaching education programme that has produced some good, bright, excellent coaches. I probably will [look at a local coach] but of course, we’re waiting on recommendations from the technical committee and then, of course, we’ll make decisions public.”

Jamaica will either play South America’s Bolivia or Oceania’s New Caledonia in the inter-confederation play-offs semi-final when the draw is made at the FIFA headquarters in Switzerland today.

The winner will advance to the final where they will play one of the two seeded teams — DR Congo of Africa and Iraq of Asia.

A dejected Dujuan Richards looks on after Jamaica failed to automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the 0-0 result against Curacao at the National Stadium on Tuesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Jamaica winger Dujuan Richards takes on Curacao defender Sherel Floranus during the Concacaf World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium on Tuesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Jamaica’s Jon Russell (left) tries to elude the Curacao pair of Leandro Bacuna (partially hidden) and Armando Obispo during the Concacaf World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium on Tuesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

In this October 4, 2024 file photo, Jamaica football Head Coach Steve McClaren (left) speaks during a press conference as Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts looks on. (Photo: Karl Mclarty)