Interim Head Coach Rudolph Speid says Jamaica’s preparations for the FIFA Intercontinental play-offs have required what he sees as a careful balance between squad planning and opponent scouting, with the immediate focus being on getting through the first game.

The Reggae Boyz will face New Caledonia in the opening play-off match at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, on March 26. The winner will advance to face DR Congo at the same venue five days later.

Jamaica advanced to the intercontinental stage after finishing second behind Curacao in their Concacaf qualifying group, missing automatic qualification in a 0-0 draw at home on November 18.

While much of the public discussion has centred on the difficulty of a potential match against DR Congo, Speid says New Caledonia presents its own challenges, particularly due to limited exposure and the possibility of squad changes.

As Jamaica prepares to hold a training camp next month, built around a provisional 60-man pool of 52 players already identified and others still being pursued, Speid says his scouts are keeping an eye on the Intercontinental opponents.

Asked how difficult it is to prepare for New Caledonia, a team ranked 150th in the world, and especially one that may arrive with little pressure and limited available footage, Speid says Jamaica has already reviewed recent performances but expects differences when the teams meet.

Thierry Sardo now coaches New Caledonia, and Speid is aware that a change in leadership can significantly alter both playing style and personnel. Jamaica’s technical staff has continued to analyse available footage while accounting for the likelihood of new players being introduced ahead of the playoffs.

“We have seen their last four games,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday. “We have info on those already. But those teams change. I think they have added a new coach already since qualifying for the play-offs, and they are French, so I think we’ll see players from France come in to fill gaps in the team. It’s going to be difficult. It’s not going to be a walkover. I’ve said before, we are focusing on them first, then we have five days to prepare for DR Congo.”

In anticipation of a possible second match, Speid travelled to Morocco during the Africa Cup of Nations to scout DR Congo in person. The Congolese side exited the competition in the Round of 16 after a 1-0 loss to Algeria on Tuesday, but Speid said the trip provided valuable insight that could not be gained from television footage alone.

“The trip was hard – we were travelling for about three days straight – it was very difficult,” he said. “The Congo team is interesting, how they play. What is most significant when we looked at their team, they had 22 players playing in the top 20 leagues in the world. Just to give you an idea of how strong their teams are and what their qualities are. As I said before, we really needed to watch them up close because there are a lot of things watching them on tv, you wouldn’t have seen. Over the next couple of months, we haven’t decided yet [on strategies] because that will take some time to formulate a plan, and we’re working on it.”

DR Congo is coached by Sébastien Desabre and features a squad drawn heavily from Europe’s top leagues. Their player pool includes Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa, West Ham United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, former Chelsea man Gaël Kakuta, now at Sakaryaspor in Turkiye, Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe, and captain Chancel Mbemba, who plays at Lille in France’s Ligue 1.

SPEID…we haven’t decided yet [on strategies] because that will take some time to formulate a plan, and we’re working on it (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

DR Congo’s French Head Coach Sebastien Desabre shouts instructions to his players from the touchline during the Africa Cup of Nations 2024 match between South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on February 10, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

DR Congo’s forward Yoane Wissa (left) fights for the ball with South Africa’s defender Terrence Mashego during the Africa Cup of Nations 2024 third-place play-off football match between South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on February 10, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

Canadian Draw Assistant Wayne Gretzky shows the card reading Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jamaica and New Caledonia during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025. (Photo: AFP)