ALTHOUGH opinions remain divided on Rudolph Speid’s involvement with the national senior men’s team, Reggae Boyz defender Damion Lowe believes the interim head coach deserves more time as the team rebuilds after missing out on FIFA World Cup qualification.

Speid will lead Jamaica in their Unity Cup semi-final against India at The Valley in London, starting at 1:30 pm.

The three-time Jamaica Premier League- and Concacaf Caribbean Cup-winning coach saw his initial contract expire on April 1, after the national team’s loss to DR Congo in the Intercontinental Play-offs in Mexico. However, he was given another contract on an interim basis by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) for the exhibition tournament, which also includes Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

The Jamaica Observer understands that Speid, who was first appointed last November following Steve McClaren’s resignation, was the front-runner for the role on a permanent basis last month after impressing President Michael Ricketts. However, the JFF board was unable to reach a unanimous decision, leading the technical committee to extend the search process and with a decision expected before the end of June.

England-born former Reggae Boyz Darren Moore, Michael Johnson, as well as Miguel Coley, who served as interim assistant coach on Speid’s technical staff, are among the applicants for the head coach job.

While some stakeholders and supporters remain opposed to Speid being appointed permanently, Lowe says he should get the opportunity, with the players responding positively to his approach compared to Englishman McClaren.

“Obviously, it’s easier to adapt and to be one with your own. He has his own playing style, [so] as players we have to be able to adapt and adjust as he wants us to. But yeah, it’s been much easier,” Lowe said.

“It’s been going well so far. I just hope the fans and everyone else just give more grace, and give him time to share his ideas with us, build the team, bring the young ones in and give them experience, so we can build something good for the future.”

Speid, though not commenting on his long-term future, believes being a Jamaican-born coach is beneficial for the dynamics of the team.

“Every coach brings their own ideas, and I’ve found that the players have adapted well to some of the ideas that I’m trying to put across so I’m really satisfied [and] I think we’ll get better as we go along,” he said.

“One of the advantages as a Jamaican coach is that I am more au fait [familiar] with what the players like to do with their style of living. I think I’m more at home with the players than a coach from overseas.”

Speid will be looking to add to his win percentage against India after registering victories in three of his first four games, including against New Caledonia in the World Cup play-offs in March.

However, he says it may be a tough game due to being unfamiliar with the current Indian team.

“We have been looking at some of their games but it’s very difficult to assess. We have played against them before but it was way back in 2002, so it has been a very long time since we have played against India,” Speid said.

“It’s a little bit of an unknown country but we’ll try to play what we came up to play in that particular game, so that’s what we plan to do.”

All members of the 26-man squad have joined the team in London, including the locally based players whose teams took part in the Jamaica Premier League final and third place play-off on Sunday.

While veterans Lowe, Isaac Hayden and Joel Latibeaudiere are set to feature, the squad, which includes five teenagers, has an average age of 21 years, 11 months, making it the youngest in national team history.

Lowe, who captains the team in the absence of Andre Blake, says he will do his best to ensure the inexperienced players adapt quickly.

“The young guys, they’ve played enough professional football to know what it is like to play in a packed stadium but international football is a different beast so it takes a different level of focus,” he said. “But for me, as a senior player, [I will] just help to guide them, help them get used to the intensity and the demands of what we want as a national team.”

The winner will play Nigeria in the final on Saturday at 1:30 pm, after their 2-0 win over Zimbabwe on Tuesday, while the loser will take on Zimbabwe at 8:30 am. Jamaica lost to the Nigerians on penalties in the 2025 final at Brentford Community Stadium.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Joshua Grant, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Tafari Chambers

Defenders: Damion Lowe, Joel Latibeaudiere, Jeovanni Laing, Ronaldo Webster, Christopher Ainsworth, Dexter Lembikisa, Kyle Ming, Marlon Van de Wetering, Odin Samuels-Smith

Midfielders: Isaac Hayden, Nickyle Ellis, Dwight Merrick, Brandon Cover, Tyrese Hall, Courtney Clarke, Delano Splatt

Forwards: Kaheim Dixon, Bailey Cadamarteri, Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri, Dajaune Brown, Nick Simmonds, Nickalia Fuller, Raheem Edwards

Reggae Boyz defender Damion Lowe (left) and interim Head Coach Rudolph Speid during the Unity Cup pre-match press conference on Monday, May 25, 2026 in London .

Forward Kaheim Dixon (left) and Damion Lowe are among the 26-man Reggae Boyz squad selected by Speid for the Unity Cup. (Photo: JFF)

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz interim Head Coach Rudolph Speid (centre) addresses the squad during training at Sabina Park in Kingston, ahead of the international friendly against Grenada in January 2026. (Photo: JFF)