Jamaica’s young Reggae Girlz head coach, Leacroft Lettman, has emphasized the need to rebuild and prepare for future competitions after his team fell short in the just-concluded Concacaf Women’s U-20 qualifiers.
Lettman’s side entered their final Group A qualifying match needing a win against host Nicaragua but surrendered a 1-0 lead and were held to a 1-1 stalemate that saw them eliminated as Nicaragua topped the group based on superior goal difference.
The Girlz earlier defeated St Vincent and the Grenadines 7-0 and St Kitts and Nevis 4-0. They ended with seven points with 12 goals to their tally and one against, while Nicaragua, also with seven points, had 14 goals for and one against.
Reflecting on the team's overall performance, Lettman acknowledged the heartbreak of conceding a late goal but remained proud of the squad’s effort.
“It was a tough ending to the campaign as they were so close to achieving the objective, and they probably would have if they had protected the ball better and were more composed in front of goal. Overall, the Girlz gave a good account of themselves as they bonded well as a team and stood up to the demands of the tournament,” Lettman told SportsMax.Tv shortly after arriving back in the island.
Despite the disappointment, Lettman noted key takeaways from the tournament for both the team and the country.
“We rotated players to keep them fresh, and if our attackers were more clinical, we would have had a better outcome. In the end, we were all disappointed, the Girlz more so as some of them cried openly after the game, but they will learn from it, and we can only hope they continue to improve for future tournaments,” he said.
“They are still young ladies with bright futures ahead of them, so they will learn to manage pressure situations better and also to understand the importance of holding each other accountable both on and off the field,” Lettman added.
Looking ahead, Lettman outlined the next steps to ensure the continued development of the squad, particularly the local players, in preparation for future campaigns.
“As a country, we have a foundation to build on. We just have to continue tracking the players from U-14, U-17, and U-20 all the way to the senior team and also ensure that they remain active. We also have a close relationship with the coaches in the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) programme and the academy programme, and so we will watch the growth of our local players and then combine them with overseas talents in preparation for future campaigns,” he shared.
That said, Lettman, who also worked with the Under-17 Girlz, pointed to the importance of exposing players to more competitive football, much like they did when they participated in Trinidad and Tobago’s Jewel of the Caribbean invitational tournament ahead of the qualifiers.
“We have some nice talent in the Under-17 team, so we will develop them as the core base and then add others to fit the puzzle for the next qualifying campaign. Trinidad and Tobago had an invitational tournament late last year that proved fruitful for the Girlz. Having them engage in more team tournaments like that would be good for the country. Also, having weekly camps and practice games would help them play outside of their comfort zone,” he ended.