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• Jamaica’s U-20 women’s Head coach Hugh Bradford balances immediate preparation with long-term development

  Jamaica’s Under-20 Women’s Head coach, Hugh Bradford, is steering a new generation of players toward next year’s Concacaf Women’s qualifiers, with the immediate focus being to sharpen their skills in the Jewels of the Caribbean Women’s Tournament.

  The invitational tournament, set to kick off in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, provides a critical platform for preparation as Jamaica gears up for high-stakes competition in February.

  Bradford’s young Reggae Girlz will compete against teams from Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and two squads from Trinidad and Tobago—the Red Angels and White Angels—in the week-long friendly tournament, which concludes on December 20.

  Though a bit concerned that his players might be a bit sluggish coming out of a four-day camp, Bradford underscored the value of the tournament.

  “The tournament will be good for the players that are able to attend. They will be a bit tired having just finished a four-day camp today, but these matches are essential for building chemistry and testing their abilities under game conditions,” Bradford told SportsMax.Tv.

  

  Bradford enters this phase of preparation with a relatively new roster, as only retained three or four players from last year’s squad, which had a successful run to the Under-20 Championship but failed to progress beyond the group stage.

  Though this means starting from scratch in some areas, the United States-based coach is optimistic about the team’s potential.

  “This is a new team, so we’re still getting to know them. The players have a solid foundation for the most part. Right now, it’s about working on getting them used to each other’s abilities and finding cohesion as a unit," Bradford explained.

  While his team’s journey to the qualifiers has already involved several training camps, where players have been putting in quality work, Bradford admitted there’s room for improvement in fitness—a priority as the February qualifiers draw closer.

  “The fitness level needs to be better, so we will put in some work on that side, both at camp and at home,” Bradford declared.

  The young Reggae Girlz are drawn in Group D for the Concacaf Women’s U-20 qualifiers, where they will face Nicaragua, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

  It will be a high-stakes qualifier for all and sundry, as only the winner from each group will advance to the 2025 Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship to join pre-seeded powerhouses, the United States and Mexico.

  

  With that in mind, Bradford pointed out that the goal is clear—surpass their performances from last year.

  “The target is to get the roster set and get through the first round so we can continue to work on improving for the championship. Training has been good, and the players are responding well. I wish we had a few more camps, but we’ll make do with what we have,” Bradford shared.

  As such, he again welcomed the Jewels of the Caribbean tournament as a litmus test for the team’s readiness and adaptability, as the variety of opponents will challenge the young players to adapt to different styles of play.

  “These matches are crucial for seeing how the players perform in real-time situations. It’s also an opportunity to fine-tune strategies and build their confidence,” he ended.

• Jamaica through to last eight in both men’s and women’s tournaments at FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in Puerto Rico

  Jamaica are through to both the men’s and women’s quarterfinal round at the 2024 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup after similar results in Friday’s preliminary round in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

  After advancing through Thursday’s qualifiers, Jamaica’s men took on Canada and Argentina in pool play on Friday.

  They first suffered a narrow 14-19 loss to the Canadiens before returning a little over two hours later and rebounding with a 21-14 win over Argentina to advance ahead of the South Americans who also lost to Canada.

  Jabulani Newby had nine points and seven rebounds against Argentina.

  They will have a tough task in their quarterfinal on Sunday when they take on the USA at 2:20pm Jamaica time.

  On the women’s side, the Jamaicans, who didn’t have to play in qualifying, opened their day with a 14-9 win over Mexico before losing out 15-20 to Canada in their second game, advancing to the final eight in second in Pool B.

  Tiffany Reynolds was excellent against Canada despite the loss with nine points and 11 rebounds.

  They will tackle hosts Puerto Rico in the last eight on Sunday at 1:30pm Jamaica time.

• JFF president Ricketts highlights sustained youth development, potential partnership with Argentina in ambitious goals for 2025

  As the year draws to a close, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts is brimming with pride over the achievements of Jamaican football in 2024 while setting ambitious goals for 2025.

  In a comprehensive reflection, Ricketts highlighted the strides made across all levels of the sport and detailed plans to build on this momentum.

  For Ricketts, the past year has been one of historic firsts and standout performances. The senior men’s team claimed their first medal in the Concacaf Nations League since 2017, with a third-place finish, which saw them being the first Caribbean team to achieve such a feat. They also scored their first-ever goal in Copa America, a significant milestone in their three-time participation in the prestigious tournament.

  “It’s no secret how challenging it is to compete at the highest levels in regional and global football. The fact that we’ve broken new ground in these tournaments speaks volumes about our progress,” Ricketts said during a virtual press conference on Friday.

  

  Additionally, Ricketts underscored the contributions of locally-based talent, with 14 players from the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) making their senior national team debuts in 2024. This achievement, he noted, reflects the federation’s commitment to nurturing homegrown players and showcasing their skills on the global stage.

  The year also saw significant accomplishments for Jamaica’s youth and women’s teams as the Under-14 boys secured a resounding victory in the CFU tournament, where they scored seven goals in 40 minutes to clinch the title. Meanwhile, the Reggae Girlz wrapped up their year with a dominant two-match friendly series against South Africa, performances that Ricketts believes underscore their status as a formidable force in women’s football.

  He also lauded the Caribbean Cup and CFU Shield accomplishments of JPL clubs Cavalier FC and Arnett Gardens, respectively.

  “So I mean, we locally seem to take these things lightly, but people around the region really don't, so I must say congratulations. I must recognise the achievements of Ms. Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, who was 15th in the Women's Ballon d'Or, and this speaks volume, especially when you think about the fact that ‘Bunny’ is a homegrown talent,” Ricketts noted.

  Looking ahead, Ricketts outlined an ambitious calendar for 2025, starting with preparations for critical tournaments at every level. The Under-17 boys will head to Mexico in January to fine-tune their skills ahead of World Cup qualifiers in Guatemala in February. Similarly, the Under-17 and Under-20 Reggae Girlz will compete in qualifiers early in the year.

  The senior men’s team will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in June, facing the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Guatemala, and they will also engage in the Concacaf Gold Cup preliminaries against St Vincent and the Grenadines in March.

  

  Additionally, Ricketts revealed that the JFF is in discussions with Trinidad and Tobago to organize a two- or three-match series in February with an aim to maintain competitive momentum.

  Despite the successes, Ricketts acknowledged areas for improvement, including exposing more young players to high-level competition. He also emphasized the importance of succession planning, particularly in transitioning talent from youth to senior levels.

  In fact, he pointed out that JFF’s Technical Development Scheme (TDS) and regional scouting initiatives will play a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing elite players across age groups.

  “We're not infallible, so we would have fallen short in some areas. I mean, I think we have not been able to expose enough of our young players, and that would be one of our weaknesses to expose our young talents. But I think we are on track to have this issue corrected,” Ricketts shared.

  “We are focused on ensuring that our young players have clear pathways to progress through the ranks. Having now established this coaching empowerment programme, we are online to, of course, achieve a better development programme and, of course, high-quality senior players. This approach will help us remain competitive on both the regional and global stages,” he added.

  The President explained that the JFF is also prioritizing partnerships with international clubs and organizations to enhance local football, as he hinted at the possibility of a bilateral programme with Argentina, which will facilitate coach exchanges and knowledge-sharing.

  

   

  “We have had discussions with the Argentine ambassador here in Jamaica, and we have established a partnership that will be formally announced. So yes, we are working on that, and this is just a start.

  “I think it's very important, and in fact, part of the early discussions would be a kind of programme where coaches would go to countries overseas visiting top-notch clubs, and they would probably come here to see what we do have to offer,” he noted.

  That said, Ricketts is optimistic about the future, in which he envisions a vibrant footballing ecosystem where homegrown talent thrives alongside the best in the world.

  “We will be working on that assiduously and with the highest level of urgency to ensure that the elite local players get their opportunity to showcase their talent at the national level. We want to ensure that each of our Reggae Girlz also gets the opportunity to showcase their talent. So this is something that we are aware of and something that we are giving some serious attention,” Ricketts ended.