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• Reggae Girlz suffer 3-0 defeat to France in international friendly

  Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz fell 3-0 to powerhouse France in an international friendly contest that demonstrated their tenacity as much as it did the defensive lapses at the Stade Auguste-Bonal on Friday.

  Facing a French team ranked 10th in the world, the Reggae Girlz showed early cohesion and confidence that hinted at the prospect of another brave performance similar to when they held the same opponents to goalless stalemate at last year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup.

  But as the game wore on, France’s unrelenting pressure found cracks in Jamaica’s defence, resulting in two costly errors in the first half that set the tone for a challenging evening.

  Clara Mateo (22nd), captain Wendie Renard (39th) and Sandy Baltimore (48th) got on the scoresheet for France, who in all honesty, could have won by a much wider margin.

  Despite the result, Reggae Girlz Head coach Hubert Busby emphasized the value of facing elite teams like France.

  “Coming up against a really good French team in a really competitive environment was always going to be tough, but I thought overall, as the game went on, the team got better. Again, I think these are the games that we want to play and we have to just keep on building on what we want to do as we head into the next window,” Busby said in a post-game interview.

  “When you bring in new players into the group, you can see that they are a little bit disjointed, so the more that we can continue to be together and keep building as a group, the better we'll be. So as of right now, we kind of turn the page and get ready for the next window in Jamaica when we host South Africa. And then we look to build on the, the principles that we've laid this week and look to correct some of the things that we didn't do as well in tonight's match,” he added.

  The Girlz showed no signs of being intimidated in the opening minutes, as they moved the ball effectively and kept France’s backline engaged at times.

  But as France settled and pressed deeper into Jamaica’s territory, the Girlz’s defence began to struggle under the mounting pressure. The French breakthrough came when Chantelle Swaby attempted to clear, but the ball went astray and into the path of Mateo, who swiftly fired past Rebecca Spencer in goal for Jamaica.

  France continued to apply pressure and consistently found gaps in Jamaica’s defence as they created numerous chances which required Spencer to be on her toes. On one of those occasions, the Tottenham Hotspur goaltender got down well in time to parry an effort from Kenza Dali.

  However, minutes later Renard eluded Allyson Swaby and Vyan Sampson deep in Jamaica’s 18-yard box and used the full length of her lanky figure to soar high head home Mateo’s weighted corner kick to put France 2-0 up at the break.

  Busby, seeing the need for adjustments, made tactical changes in the second half, particularly in the middle of the park, with hopes of getting in behind France’s high defensive line.

  Still, the Girlz struggled to contain the French attackers and another defensive mishap saw them fall further behind. This, as Baltimore rifled a left-footer past Spencer after Delphine Cascarino’s cross eluded Tiffany Cameron, who attempted to head clear.

  Though three goals down, the Girlz tried to play their game and Jody Brown skipped a defender on a break in the 63rd minute, but her shot was charged down by a second defender.

  Five minutes later Kayla McKenna had a grand opportunity to pull one back for the Girlz, but her first touch to get around France’s goalkeeper Constance Picaud in a one-on-one situation was too heavy and the opportunity went begging.

  France thought they had another when Renard again headed home from close range, but the goal was called back by VAR for an offside in the build up play.

• St. Kitts Athletics hosts field events seminar with renowned Grenadian coach Paul Phillip

  St. Kitts Athletics (SKNA) has launched a four-day sports seminar focused on field events, led by renowned Grenadian throws coach Paul Phillip. With participation from 32 athletes and 26 coaches, the seminar aims to strengthen field events training and development on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis.

   Phillip, who brings a wealth of experience in coaching top-tier throwing events, is guiding the seminar participants through intensive sessions designed to refine techniques in discus, shot put, and javelin. The program emphasizes foundational skills essential for athletes competing at the junior level and beyond.

  

   SKNA President Delwayne Delaney highlighted the strategic focus on field events as part of SKNA's broader commitment to developing a diverse range of athletic disciplines. “We have seen progress in the field events areas at the junior level and decided it was imperative we honed in this area at a youth and junior stage,” Delaney explained. “We intend to host additional workshops on hurdles and middle-distance events, following last year’s sprints seminar with Glen Mills.”

   The seminar underscores SKNA’s dedication to a holistic development approach, ensuring young athletes receive specialized training across multiple disciplines. The organization’s initiative continues to expand opportunities for athletes and coaches, with plans for more seminars and workshops in the near future.

• Ja's Cavalier, Dom Rep's Moca play out goalless stalemate in first-leg of Concacaf Caribbean Cup semis tie

  It is as you were between Jamaica's Cavalier FC and Dominican Republic's Moca FC in their Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final tie, after they played out a scoreless stalemate in first leg action at Estadio Moca 85 on Thursday.

  The result means that both teams will still have all to play for in next Wednesday's second leg at the National Stadium to secure a spot in the final and, by extension, in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup.

  Cavalier was the more dominant outfit throughout, as they bossed possession and created the best of chances to break the deadlock. Jerome McLeary got the first look at goal in the 26th minute, but he dragged his effort just wide of the target.

  Dwayne 'Busy' Atkinson proved his usual menacing self and also went close in the 31st, but Moca's custodian Miguel Baez proved equal to the task.

  Moca tried to play their game and had their best effort on goal courtesy of Clifford Thomas, whose 51st minute shot from just outside the 18-yard box did little to bother Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier.

  In the 55th minute, Atkinson worked his way into the danger area and pulled the trigger from close range, but Báez again came up big to deny him.

  The nippy former Kingston College standout again showed his class to open space for a 65th-minute effort but put too much force behind his attempt, which sailed over the crossbar.

  With Moca's defence struggling to contain him, Atkinson again found himself in a sweet spot with Baez at his mercy. However, it was not to be, as his strike from deep inside the box veered just wide of the right upright on the stroke of full time.