Goalkeeper Andre Blake has been added to the Reggae Boyz squad selected to play Argentina on September 27.
The 31-year-old Reggae Boyz’s captain exclusion from the squad had prompted speculation that the players’ remarks on social media suggesting that the hiring of a new coach would change nothing for the current administration.
The matter took on added significance when Cedella Marley, who is a mentor and fundraiser for Jamaica’s senior women’s team posted on social media that she stands behind the Philadelphia Union shot-stopper over his omission from the team.
Marley has been critical of the Jamaica Football Federation in the past over their handling of the affairs of the senior women’s team.
However, at Friday’s press conference where the JFF formally introduced Icelander Hiemir Hallgrimsson as the new head coach for the senior men’s team, the coach indicated that his selection of the team was guided by ‘technical members” of the JFF.
“For me, in the best case scenario, it’s embarrassing. We had a talk, the case is settled he is in the squad and hopefully me as the coach can start this cooperation with the captain of the team we can have a good relationship,” he said.
According to the new coach, Blake’s omission from the Reggae Boyz squad was not intentional on his part.
“For me, I had a short time to finish the contract, decide to come here and it’s one matter, we play Argentina in three weeks. I had to either sit in the stands or watch the game or just jump in the pool.
“I totally admit that I don’t that much about Jamaican football yet but for sure I will try to do my best to know a lot more next time. So decided to jump, and start working and the first thing was to select a squad so I had good help from the technical staff.
“The criteria for us in the first camp was to try to have players who are playing at the highest level. I hope we can start with everyone with a clean slate, so everyone has the same chance of playing for the national team. So we helped each other to select the squad based on previous national team matches and squads.”
Hallgrimsson said they looked at more than 100 players who had represented the Reggae Boyz in the last three years. “This is how we started, this is how we selected the squad,” he said.
He said that he hopes that the problems of the past between the Reggae Boyz and the JFF will remain there as Jamaica’s football looks to a brighter future.
“All projects have their problems from the past and I hope that all the things that happened in the past are in the past. I hope that when we start we don’t take the problems from the past to the present.”