
Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz are set to face Peru in a pair of international friendlies in Lima on February 23 and 26, but they will do so without their star forward, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw.
Head coach Hubert Busby Jr. announced the 24-member squad on Monday and addressed the absence of Shaw, who recently made a triumphant return to Manchester City’s starting XI, scoring two goals in a 4-0 victory over Liverpool in the Women's Super League on Sunday.
Shaw, who had been sidelined for several weeks due to a leg injury and subsequent racist abuse, has gradually been reintegrated into the City squad. Busby explained that her omission from the squad was a precautionary measure due to load management concerns and collaboration with her club.
"Yesterday was her first start in 2025. She's been out for a while and she's had limited minutes," Busby said. "She's still a little bit on restrictions. And so, you know, Manchester City is monitoring her progress in terms of her coming back in and obviously, we respect that as well."
Busby acknowledged that while it was great to see Shaw back in action and scoring goals, the decision to leave her out of the Peru friendlies was based on medical and performance data shared by Manchester City with Jamaica’s medical team.
"Decisions in terms of bringing players in are also made with that in mind," Busby continued. "Hopefully, once she gets in the next few weeks and she's completed that load management and is back to full 90-minute matches, we look forward to having her back in the next window."
Despite Shaw’s absence, Busby has assembled a balanced squad with a mix of experience and emerging talent. New to the squad are Nyema Ingleton and Jazmin Ferguson. Ferguson had previously been a part of player pool but never played.
Nyema Ingleton
Goalkeepers Rebecca Spencer, Aliyah Morgan, and Liya Brooks provide depth in goal, while Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, and Deneisha Blackwood headline the defensive unit. Jade Bailey, Drew Spence, and Atlanta Primus bring stability to the midfield, with Tiffany Cameron, Kayla McKenna, Jody Brown, and Shaniel Buckley leading the attack.
Squad for Peru Friendlies:
Goalkeepers: Rebecca Spencer, Aliyah Morgan, Liya Brooks.
Defenders: Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Nya Cardoza, Siobhan Wilson, Jazmin Ferguson, Deneisha Blackwood, Kameron Simmonds, Nyema Ingleton.
Midfielders: Atlanta Primus, Njeri Butts, Amelia Van Zanten, Drew Spence, Jade Bailey, Olufolasade Adamolekun.
Forwards: Tiffany Cameron, Kayla McKenna, Shaniel Buckley, Jody Brown, Reanna Blades, Ricshya Walker.
Jazmin Ferguson
The Peru friendlies serve as another crucial step in the Reggae Girlz’ preparation for upcoming international competitions, providing Busby and his staff an opportunity to assess squad depth in the absence of key players.
With Shaw expected to return for the next window, these matches also offer other attacking players a chance to stake their claim in the squad as Jamaica continues to build towards future tournaments.
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