Jamaica’s Head coach, Hubert Busby, took heart from a successful two-match friendly series against South Africa, as he intends to use the victories as a foundation to sharpen his Reggae Girlz ahead of critical future competitions.
The Reggae Girlz, who dominated the first match with a 3-0 win last Friday, followed up with a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the second match on Monday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.
Goals from Vyan Sampson (58th), Drew Spence (63rd), and substitute Kayla McKenna (76th) overturned Linda Motlhalo’s 19th-minute opener and rendered Amogeland Motau’s added-time strike inconsequential.
For Busby, the series wasn’t just about securing wins but about testing the squad in challenging scenarios.
This, as he pointed out that the quick turnaround between matches posed a physical challenge for both teams, but in the same breath, stressed the importance of resilience and adaptability, particularly after a lackluster first half in the second game.
“Yeah, I mean, look, the quick turnaround for both teams was always going to be a little bit tedious. You could see that a little bit in the first half—us trying to find our legs a bit. Credit to the medical and high-performance staff for getting the players ready,” Busby said post-match.
“These games are why we play them. We're going to be put in stressful situations; I wouldn't like it to be as stressful in the 90th minute, but that's football, you know, and credit to the team for how they responded and were worthy winners in the end,” he added.
Busby credited late adjustments for the team’s second-half resurgence after a lukewarm first half. They struggled to find rhythm and squandered a few half chances against a more confident-looking South African outfit that moved the ball well on this occasion.
“We recognized how they were building their play, so we spoke about it at halftime and showed the players what we wanted to do in terms of pressing higher. They responded really well, and those adjustments and then the impetus of players to carry out those instructions is really why we were able to turn around the game in the second half,” he explained.
Despite the team’s offensive prowess, Busby admitted disappointment at failing to maintain a clean sheet.
“Keeping a clean sheet is about the whole team and shows a good defensive performance. Overall, I still think we played well, but football is about moments. We have to manage those moments better because quality opposition at this level will punish you if we don’t. So it’s another chance for us to learn, grow, and take it into the next window,” he said.
The tactician also addressed the absence of veteran Tiffany Cameron, explaining that the decision allowed younger players to gain valuable experience as they aim to balance development and performance.
“Everybody here is ready. This camp was about evaluating players and seeing how they handle stressful situations. Tiffany is a veteran, so we know what she brings. But it’s also about embedding younger players into the group because it is us building a programme so that we can go to this 2027 World Cup and consecutive World Cups thereafter,” he stated.
With the February international window next in their line of sight, Busby is already planning for tougher tests to further prepare the team for the World Cup qualifiers.
“Plans are already in place to get an opposition. We’ve had conversations with different federations, and we’ll confirm that in the next four to five weeks. Another quality opposition that is going to test us in a stressful environment will make us better for World Cup qualifiers,” he ended.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old goalkeeper Liya Brooks, who earned her first two caps during the series, welcomed the opportunity.
“For me, it was kind of like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I knew the team had my back, and that made it easier. I'll say that I feel like my communication with my team is quite solid, and I feel like that's probably the most important thing.
“Moving forward, it’s about getting comfortable and learning my teammates individually. Also to make sure that I'm locked in and focused for every ball played back, and just making sure that I take time to breathe and live in the moment and also ensure that I'm confident in what I'm doing,” Brooks shared.
Reggae Girlz Head coach Hubert Busby and captain Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw spoke glowingly about the team’s emphatic display in their opening friendly international against South Africa as they highlighted the 3-0 win as a special homecoming for the core World Cup group, who last played in Jamaica over a year ago.
Shaw led the charge with a brace, and Siobhan Wilson scored a stunning opener in the performance that offered a blend of triumph and promise at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Friday.
With the win marking their first victory since the Fifa Women’s World Cup group stages last year, an elated Busby called it “long overdue” as he also praised the crowd’s support. The second game is scheduled for Monday at the same venue.
“First, it was a great result, long overdue; and secondly, we’re just absolutely thrilled to have the people and the fans supporting us. We’re blessed to have one of the best strikers [Shaw] in the world playing in a Jamaica jersey, and it is great to have her back,” Busby said at a post-game press conference.
The match saw Jamaica dominate the proceedings, as Shaw struck in the 55th and 83rd minutes after Wilson’s opener in the 43rd. Despite the commanding scoreline, Busby emphasized that the focus was on executing a complete team performance.
Reggae Girlz Head coach Hubert Busby (left) in discussion with assistant Deon Burton.
“We’re here to win football matches, but really it’s about the performance. We talked about completing a 90-minute performance, and I was really pleased. I think for us, the connector was making sure that we're keeping the ball moving and supplying the balls to our forward, but also making sure that we're dictating the tempo,” Busby shared.
“We haven't done a good enough job at keeping clean sheets recently, and that has been a foundation for our success last year, so that’s also a really positive aspect to take from this game,” he noted.
The coach also heaped praise on 19-year-old goalkeeper Liya Brooks, who made her debut and impressed with a composed display.
“She looked like a veteran, flawless, as if she'd played 20 games. It speaks to the depth of the programme we’re building. So, I am really happy for her and the team as a whole because we really defended well and kept the shape,” Busby shared.
With the Reggae Girlz looking ahead to the qualification cycle for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, Busby stressed the importance of building depth and nurturing young talent as his team still has room for growth.