Although unsure of his long-term future with the Reggae Girlz, Head Coach Hubert Busby says he’s happy with the current state of the women’s programme and is eager to qualify them for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

On Monday, Busby announced the squad for the national senior women’s team’s upcoming Concacaf W Championship qualifier away to Nicaragua on March 2, which will be led by Captain Khadija “Bunny” Shaw. They recorded a massive 18-0 win against Dominica in their opening game in November.

It will be Jamaica’s first international match of 2026 and Busby’s first since agreeing to a contract extension with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in January.

Busby’s previous contract expired at the end of 2025 and while JFF President Michael Ricketts supported his return, his future was reportedly being questioned internally. He was absent from international friendly losses last year against Mexico on April 5 and 8 as well as the USA on June 3 but returned for wins against Trinidad in October and Dominica in November.

However, following discussions with the JFF board and technical committee last month, Busby was handed a one-year extension, which means he’ll oversee the rest of the Reggae Girlz’s World Cup Qualifying campaign, which ends in November.

While it isn’t a long-term agreement, Busby says he has no issues with this and is looking forward to helping the Jamaican women secure a third-straight berth to the World Cup.

“It’s just really an extension through to 2026 and obviously the idea is to continue through. We’re looking positively ahead … obviously that’s why I’m here today, so there really wasn’t a lot of things to really discuss. It was just making sure that we’re all on the same page and we’re continuing going forward and that’s what it is,” he said.

“It’s just kind of a continuation of where we were before heading into another year and then obviously we’ll reevaluate after this year and then if things go well, we’ll obviously continue to push on and obviously that takes us into the World Cup as well. So it was just a matter of us sitting down and making sure we’re on the same page with a couple of things, but we’re all unified and pulling in the same direction and we all want the same things to occur and it’s now about us coming together from the federation, players, staff, you know, the public getting behind this group to ensure that we qualify for a third straight World Cup and then consequently qualify for the 2028 Olympics as well.”

Busby, the team’s former goalkeeper coach during their first World Cup campaign in 2019, was reappointed for his second stint in May 2024, replacing Lorne Donaldson, whose contract wasn’t renewed.

Busby previously served as head coach from 2020 to 2021 but was suspended by the JFF following allegations of sexual misconduct during his time with the Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada.

However, Busby returned after the JFF said FIFA had cleared Busby of any wrongdoing following a lengthy investigation.

Former Reggae Boyz striker Deon Burton and Montego Bay United Head Coach Xavier Gilbert are also expected to remain as assistant coaches in the Reggae Girlz technical staff.

Jamaica, who currently lie second in Group B of the Concacaf W Qualifiers with three points behind Nicaragua on six points, need to top their group to advance to the championships where eight teams will qualify for the 2027 World Cup and three will qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Squad

Goalkeepers – Sydney Schneider, Rebecca Spencer, Liyaa Brooks

Defenders – Tianna Harris, Konya Plummer, Chantelle Swaby, Naya Cardoza, Kameron Simmonds, Tiffany Cameron, Allyson Swaby

Midfielders – Olufolasade Adamolekun, Atlanta Primus, Denelsha Blackwood, Israela Groves, Jade Bailey, Trudi Carter

Forwards – Khadija Shaw, Kayla McKenna, Shaniel Buckley, Natasha Thomas, Shania Hayles, Solai Washington, Kalyssa Van Zanten

Jamaica’s goalscorer Allyson Swaby (right) and teammates (from left) Drew Spence, Deneisha Blackwood, and Atlanta Primus celebrate the team’s first goal versus Panama during the Women’s World Cup Group F football match at Perth Rectangular Stadium in Australia on July 29, 2023. (Photo: AFP)