With their eyes firmly set on World Cup qualification later this year, Reggae Girlz assistant coach Deon Burton believes the squad is in the right frame of mind to make the most of their high-profile encounter against Mexico.
The opening friendly in the two-match series is scheduled for 4:30 pm Jamaica time at CPKC Stadium on Saturday.
“Yeah, it's going to be exciting. Mexico are a top-30 team in the world, so it’s great that we get the opportunity to put our wits against a team of this calibre. These are the kinds of matches that really test us and help us fine-tune our game model," Burton said in a pre-match interview.
The fixture marks a rematch of the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship clash, where the Reggae Girlz secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mexico. But with both teams evolving since then, this friendly provides Jamaica with a fresh opportunity to assess their progress and identify areas for improvement.
Deon Burton (right) in discussion with head coach Hubert Busby.
With Concacaf World Cup qualifiers scheduled for October, the coaching staff sees these friendlies as invaluable preparation.
"It’s really important that we utilize every camp we have leading up to qualification. These matches allow us to plan, to prepare, and to work on key areas that we know will be essential when those qualification games roll around," Burton, a member of the 1998 Reggae Boyz World Cup team, stated.
With head coach Hubert Busby opting for frequent changes in squad personnel, the coaching staff must constantly integrate new players while ensuring team cohesion. According to Burton, this is a challenge the team embraces.
"So the more grass time we can get with the girls is a must, and it's really important to just tick off loads of areas, especially given the fact that we're having players change quite a lot of the time. But it's good to get the new girls in and make sure they understand what's expected from them and the levels that we play at," he noted.
Hubert Busby leads a team talk.
That said, Burton pointed out that playing in the United States also presents a unique advantage—access to Jamaica’s massive diaspora community. Having experienced their unwavering support as a player during Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers, Burton hopes to see a strong turnout from the fans.
"If you're listening and you're nearby, come out and support the Reggae Girlz. Any help is much appreciated, and as we always say, you're like the 12th man. Bring your whistles, bring your families—it’s going to be a great couple of games," he opined.
With the team’s final training session completed, Burton confirmed that all players are fit and available for selection against Mexico.
"We’ve just come back, had lunch, and everyone took part in the session. Everyone’s raring to go for the first match tomorrow afternoon. These camps are so important. It’s about ticking off all the boxes so that come October, we hit the ground running," Burton said.
Reggae Girlz in action against Mexico at the 2022 Concacaf Women's Championships.
Meanwhile, the expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in 2031 has been another talking point in global football. Burton sees it as a positive step for the sport, but he insists that proper investment must follow.
“It’s really good. It can only benefit the women’s game, but we have to make sure there’s adequate funding behind it so that these extra teams can develop and compete at a high level that is expected. Because no one wants to come in just because they're making it a bigger event, but they want to be able to put the best foot forward," Burton declared.
"It will need the right backing and funding, so it's really important that everyone gets behind it and we can bring more teams to the table and have more females playing football," he ended.