GIRLZ ON BRINK
Jamaica one win away from third-successive FIFA Women’s World Cup berth
THE Reggae Girlz have the chance to build on their historic achievements this November by securing qualification to both the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
The national senior women’s team take on Costa Rica in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf W Championship on Friday, November 27 in Texas, after the draw by the region’s governing body on Tuesday.
With the semi-finalists guaranteeing a place in the World Cup in Brazil next year, Jamaica only need a win to mark their third consecutive trip to the global showpiece.
A victory could also book their spot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, making it the first time Jamaica, men or women, would compete in football at the Summer Games.
The draw means the Reggae Girlz would have played Costa Rica for a fourth-straight World Cup Qualifying campaign.
In the 2018 Concacaf W Championship, a lone goal from Khadija Shaw led them to a 1-0 win which saw them advance to the knockout stage and qualified for the 2019 World Cup in France after beating Panama on penalties in the third-place play-off.
In the 2022 edition of the Concacaf W Championship, they beat Costa Rica 1-0 in extra time and moved on to their second-straight World Cup in Australia and New Zealand where they advanced to the knockout stages for the first time.
Jamaica were only unsuccessful against the Costa Ricans in the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, where they lost 2-1 and failed to advance to the knockout stage while Costa Rica eventually advanced to the 2015 World Cup in Canada.
Head coach Hubert Busby will be looking to be the third different coach to lead Jamaica to the World Cup, following Hue Menzies in 2019 and Lorne Donaldson in 2023.
The Reggae Girlz went unbeaten in the Concacaf W Championship qualification, topping Group B with four wins from four, including a 2-0 win over Guyana at the National Stadium on Saturday.
The other quarter-final match-ups will see four-time World Cup champions USA take on El Salvador, Canada battling Panama, and Mexico playing Haiti.
The Reggae Girlz celebrate their fourth goal against Antigua and Barduda during their Group B match in the Concacaf Women’s Qualifiers at the National Stadium on Friday, April 10. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
