Most talented Reggae Boyz team 'since 98' could struggle if not properly prepared insists former national coach Brown

Written by Kwesi Mugisa. Posted in Jamaica Football. | 29 April 2021 | 3296 Views
Tags: Football, Caribbean, Jamaica, Reggae Boyz

Former Jamaica national team head coach, Carl Brown, has called for there to be a focus on the team's preparation in order to fully realise the potential of a talented squad.
The Reggae Boyz have not made an appearance at the FIFA World Cup since making their debut at the 1998 tournament in France. With a heavy influx of talented English-born players expected to bolster the team for the upcoming campaign, however, many believe it will represent the team's best opportunity in several years to make a return to the tournament.

In addition, the Jamaicans, currently ranked third in the Concacaf region, have retained the core of a talented Jamaica-born contingent that has appeared at back-to-back Concacaf Gold Cup finals in recent years.

While admitting that the country could indeed boast a formidable unit, Brown was quick to point out that current coach of the team Theodore Whitmore had to be afforded adequate opportunity to prepare the squad.

The Jamaica national team will take part in the Concacaf Gold Cup in July, before beginning the qualifiers in September.
“The English season finishes in May, so June is going to be a very, very important month for the coaching staff in terms of preparing the players and getting the right team for the Gold Cup,” Brown told FootballGps.
“The Gold Cup offers at least three quality practice games before the World Cup qualifiers and if we do well in getting to the semifinals and final then we have at least five games. I don’t think we can ask for anything better leading up to the qualifiers,” he added.
“So, I am very optimistic and just hope that we can offer the sort of preparation that is going to be needed because we have to understand that we are still faced with the Mexicos and United States' and the Canada's and the Costa Rica's and the Panamanians. We cannot just take it for granted that we have a good crop of players, probably the best we have seen since 1998 but it’s about preparation. If we don’t properly prepare for the World Cup qualifiers we really could find ourselves struggling.”