The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has showered praise of Jamaica’s Senior Women Football team that historically qualified for the round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in South Africa on Wednesday.
After holding France, ranked in the top five in the world, to a 0-0 in their opening match and defeating Panama 1-0, Jamaica only needed a draw from the much-vaunted, top-10 ranked Brazil on Wednesday to secure a place in the knock-out round of the global tournament. Prior to Wednesday, no Caribbean team has ever managed to advance from the group stage of the competition.
However, after another steely, disciplined performance in which they held the South American giant to a 0-0 draw, the Reggae Girls achieved another historic milestone.
The JOA’s executive was impressed with the monumental achievement.
“Feats are there to be achieved and the Reggae Girlz continue to demonstrate a capacity and an ability to do so by claiming a space in the round of sixteen at FIFA’s Women’s World Cup,” the JOA said in a statement following the match that saw Jamaica finish as the runner-up to France in Group F.
JOA President Christopher Samuda was effusive in his praise stating, “History is indelibly at their feet, the present secured in the palm of their hands and the future in the vision of young girls who are dreaming the possible.
“The Reggae Girlz are authoring a script in football which is inspiring a nation to aspire where it was thought dreams only resided. The reality is that we can and they have done it. The Jamaica Olympic Association salutes them and looks forward to sharing the Olympic dream that will become a reality in Paris 2024.”
JOA Secretary General Ryan Foster was equally emphatic in his characterization of the performance that had an entire nation beaming with pride.
“The horizon is now clearly in sight and well within the reach of the Reggae Girlz and the Jamaica Olympic Association stands with watchful eyes in the hope that history again will be created and a nation’s pride will overflow for this is a moment that we hope will become a life-long story,” Foster declared.
Brazil, the pride of world football, was the casualty and sport historians will record that it was at the instance of Jamaica. This historic fact has not escaped President Samuda. “Brazil fell at the feet of the Reggae Girlz who now are the giants of history and visionaries of the future,” the JOA president beamed.