Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts is cautiously optimistic after the draw for the Reggae Boyz’ FIFA World Cup 2026 play-off campaign, emphasising the federation’s plans to appoint a new head coach and prepare the team for March’s matches in Mexico.

The play-off comes after Jamaica missed out on automatic qualification, drawing 0-0 with Curaçao on Tuesday. That result allowed Curaçao to secure top spot in Group B and led to the immediate resignation of Head Coach Steve McClaren.

Ricketts, reflecting on the draw, thinks it’s the best outcome for Jamaica.

“I don’t think it’s a bad draw, but that was what we said about the previous qualifying round when that was drawn and we failed to qualify,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday afternoon. “This is a second bite at the cherry. We need now to put proper plans in place. We’ll be announcing the coach tomorrow after a meeting with the executive of the JFF. So, hopefully, we’ll be able to get things right.

“Everyone seems to be laying blame with the coach [McClaren], but it is a collective effort. So I’m just hoping that everybody can come together and do what’s right so we can get good and positive results. The first game, I honestly think that we should, with some level of comfort, get over the line, but like they say, the ball is round, and if you don’t execute on the pitch, then you’re certainly not going to get good results.”

Jamaica, of Concacaf, has been drawn in Pathway 1 to face New Caledonia, of the Oceania confederation, in the semi-final. The winner will take on DR Congo of Confederation of African Football, in the pathway final. In Pathway 2, Suriname, also of Concacaf, meets Bolivia, from CONMEBOL (South America), with Iraq (Asian Football Confederation) awaiting the winner. DR Congo and Iraq, seeded to the final, earned their spots based on world rankings. All matches will be played in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico, in March, with the winners from both pathways qualifying for the World Cup.

On whether Jamaica risks underestimating perceived “smaller” opponents, Ricketts stressed focus and discipline.

“We can’t think that, and I repeatedly said no game will be easy,” he said. “But it could’ve been that they felt that way, because on paper, I would want to think that we are a better team than Curaçao, but the results proved otherwise. I mean, they scored twice on us and we have not scored on them. Especially in that first game (where Curaçao beat Jamaica 2-0 in Willemstad in October), I think we dominated so much that we ought to have come away with something. It never happened that way, but we now must stay focused. Everybody must be disciplined, everybody must be passionate and execute on match day and hope for a good result. But no team is easy — no team is easy.”

The new coach will face the challenge of preparing the squad for the March play-offs, with limited opportunities for friendly matches outside the FIFA international window due to club football commitments. Ricketts said the technical team will have to “adapt”. He said, “We probably will have to play a lesser team and the coaches will have to use their knowledge and skill to make the right decisions and make the right selections.”

Ricketts mentioned the importance of giving the new coach support and ensuring the players are mentally prepared.

“So it’s up to us now to put the things in place, give the coaches some support and then hope that we get a good result on that particular day,” he said. “We want to ensure that the players are in a state of mind that they will do very well and we come away with the win and we engage DR Congo, which certainly, on paper, ought to be a tougher assignment. But, again, when I look at the results in the Unity Cup against Nigeria last summer when we lost the final on penalties, I understand that DR Congo, in their last engagement with Nigeria, actually won on penalties. It doesn’t always work that way, but it gives you some hope that if you play well on the day, you could get the results.”

The JFF Technical Committee will meet at 10:00 am today to finalise the new head coach appointment, with an announcement expected shortly afterwards. Ricketts says the federation hopes that with careful planning, discipline, and collective effort, Jamaica can make the most of this second chance at qualifying.

Curaçao midfielder Sontje Hansen (left) and Jamaica defender Greg Leigh battle for the ball during the Concacaf World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium on Tuesday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

RICKETTS…like they say, the ball is round, and if you don’t execute on the pitch, then you’re certainly not going to get good results

French former player Christian Karembeu takes a selfie with (from third left) FIFA President Gianni Infantino, President of the Caledonian Football Federation Gilles Tavergeux, member of the Caledonian Football Federation Patrice Mandaoue, New Caledonia’s coach Johann Sidaner and former French football player Youri Djorkaef after the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Play-Off draw at the FIFA’s Home of Football in Zurich on Thursday. (Photo: AFP)