Omari Hutchinson, an ex-Arsenal trainee who spent a stellar season-long loan with English Championship runners up Ipswich Town, appears to be on the move to the Netherlands.

The London-born Jamaican international is a wanted man by fallen Dutch giants Ajax and last term’s Eredivisie runners up Feyenoord, having impressed as a whizzy winger last season.

He plies his trade with big-spending English Premier League (EPL) outfit Chelsea. He was sent out to newly-promoted Ipswich as he was deemed to be surplus to requirements at the start of the campaign.

Hutchinson’s boss at Ipswich was Kieran McKenna, who is apparently on the shortlist of five head coaches to replace recently departed head coach Mauricio Pochettino. If McKenna becomes their in-coming coach, he may well insist on keeping Hutchinson at Chelsea.

McKenna and Hutchinson worked well together at Ipswich. The club were on fire with free-flowing football during their impressive campaign, which saw Hutchinson net ten goals.

Although Hutchinson returned to Chelsea, and immediately jetted off on vacation, he now finds the West London club managerless. In the background Dutch clubs clamour to take him on loan, with an option to buy at around €18 million (US$19m).

Hutchinson is one of two talented and young attacking Jamaican players with Chelsea, both tagged as a “wonderkid”. Dujuan “Whisper” Richards, 18, has yet to make his EPL debut but had been training this year with the first-team squad after impressing Pochettino.

Jamaica face 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against minnows Dominican Republic and Dominica next month, before tackling the 16-team CONMEBOL Copa America with group games against Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.

Both Hutchinson and Richards are expected to be called up by head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson for the tournament extravaganza, which will be played in the United States (20 June-14 July).

Hutchinson has only made two appearances for the Reggae Boyz because Chelsea have never been keen for him to go on international duty.

He made his debut for Jamaica in their 6-0 humiliating defeat to Catalonia in an unofficial friendly in May 2022, and started in the 1-0 reversal to Trinidad & Tobago in March 2023. Former Phoenix All Stars Football Academy ace Richards is more of a veteran, with ten international appearances but just one goal for Jamaica.

For 20-year-old Hutchinson, voted Ipswich’s Young Player of the Season, the future looks promising to showcase his silky skills. He could be given the chance to shine on the Copa America stage, and then light up the top-flight in either the Netherlands or in England.

Until a new manager arrives at Chelsea everything is likely to remain up in the air about Hutchinson’s footballing future. Whoever Chelsea pick as their next head coach could scupper Hutchinson’s plans to leave the club, by giving the Jamaican a shot at grabbing glory in the EPL.

With an historic third-place finish at the Concacaf Nations League now out the way, Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is hoping they can ride the momentum to an even bigger accomplishment, which is to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Though Hallgrimsson would have preferred the 2023/24 CNL title, as opposed to the bronze they secured with a 1-0 win over Panama, he believes the achievement represents a step in the right direction on their quest to add to the country’s 1998 World Cup feat.

“This is just a part of our journey. We were trying to build something for this tournament as there is a saying that ‘success is not a destination, success is not a date, it’s a continuous journey to the right direction’. So, we’re just working on improving this team, as our biggest goal at the moment is to try to reach the World Cup finals,” Hallgrimsson declared. 

Jamaica’s third-place battle followed a heartbreaking 3-1 extra-time loss to United States in an entertaining semi-final contest that they led from the very first minute, but lost after Corey Burke’s last-gasped own-goal brought the opponents back into the game.

Still, Hallgrimsson took the positives from the tournament, as he pointed to the psychologically importance and confidence gained heading into the prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America, which also serves as part of the Reggae Boyz preparation for the World Cup qualifiers.

“This is a good step to play important matches, to play big tournaments, and to play strong opponents like the United States and Panama. They are two of the three highest-ranked Concacaf teams and we showed that we are closing in on this gap, even with the number of players not with us. So, I have to give a lot of credit to the players for the way they presented themselves for Jamaica,” Hallgrimsson said.

“I think it’s psychological just to know that we can face these teams of this calibre. Again, talking about missing players, I normally don’t talk about missing players, but it gives belief in what we are doing, and I think that is the biggest benefit for us,” he added.

Those benefits which Hallgrimsson alluded to, includes the fact that player such as Leon Bailey, Ethan Pinnock, Amari’i Bell, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio and Shamar Nicholson all missed the nail-biting United States encounter. However, Gray and Nicholson played their part in the Panama win after returning from red card suspensions.

For the Icelandic tactician, the absence of key players provided the opportunity for other to not only show their worth, but also to stake a claim on spots for the Copa America and World Cup qualifying squads. Interestingly enough, it was full-backs Greg Leigh and Dexter Lembikisa that got Jamaica's goals across the two games.

“This camp has given us more depth in the squad, players really punched in and showed that they want to belong into this starting lineup. Jamaica is richer after this camp,” Hallgrimsson noted.

“Tactics, it was both because we were missing players and playing good teams so we thought it would be better to play with three at the back. Given that we played 120 minutes (against United States) it was a really good performance, a solid performance from the team so I’m happy,” he ended.

Jamaica is scheduled to face Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela in Group B of the June 20 to July 14 Copa America, while Dominican Republic, Dominica, Guatemala and British Virgin Islands are their Group E opponents for the World Cup qualifiers, also scheduled to begin in June.

Jamaica and Panama will each try to finish their respective 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League campaigns on a high note when they meet in the third-place contest at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday.

The Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Jamaicans delivered an excellent performance in their semi-final clash with United States, leading from the very first minute until the final seconds of second half stoppage time when an own-goal resulted in an equalizer. United States then completed a 3-1 victory with two goals in extra-time.

Nevertheless, the Reggae Boyz defence stood tall in keeping a dangerous United States attack at bay, after Gregory Leigh’s goal just 31 seconds into the match.

Captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake was at his usual best between the sticks, making four saves, while as a collective the Jamaican defence had 12 steals, with Damion Lowe one of the standout performers.

Attacker Bobby Reid was a tireless worker as well, as he supplied the assist on the Leigh goal in addition to being a threat on the counterattack.

Panama suffered a 0-3 defeat to Mexico in their semi-final encounter, in which they had control of things for a large part of the first half, but they conceded two goals shortly before the interval.

The Canaleros will be eager to claim a victory in this one and achieve their best finish ever in a Nations League Finals outing after finishing fourth in 2022-23.

Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla was a central figure in midfield against Mexico, with 40 passes completed and two steals. Anibal Godoy also offered plenty of punch with three steals and 77 percent of passes completed.

Still, the matter of scoring remains the key component to deciding an outcome and both Jamaica and Panama will be very much aware of that. These two sides last met in Concacaf Qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2022, during which Panama won both meetings, 3-0 and 3-2. Prior to that, they were opponents in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals, which saw Jamaica register a 1-0 victory.

Regardless of the outcome, Jamaica has already rewritten the history books, as this represents their first time contesting the business end of the Concacaf Nations League. However, a win would certainly boost their morale ahead of the prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America tournament in June, as well as the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers.

Reggae Boyz Captain Andre Blake says vibes in the team are good ahead of their monumental clash with the USA in the semi-finals of the Concacaf Nations League.

The Caribbean outfit are set to tussle with the defending Concacaf Nations League champions at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Thursday to try and make history.

“The vibe in the camp is really good. Obviously, we know it’s going to be a tough game but we look forward to it and we’re going to go out there and give our best,” Blake said in a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

The Reggae Boyz got here thanks to a brilliant come-from-behind 3-2 win over Canada in the second leg of their quarterfinal on November 21 after losing the first leg 1-2 at the National Stadium three days earlier.

“It’s definitely a great achievement for the team and a boost of confidence. You need moments like those when you’re forming a team, moments that let the guys know what’s possible,” Blake said about that win.

“Going up to Toronto, it was never easy. It was cold and I’m pretty sure a lot of people thought it was done and dusted. The guys did an incredible job, stepped up to the task and put on a show. It definitely pushed us in the right direction as we continue to build. We know we have a great group of guys but it takes time to form a good team. As I said, moments like those can really help with the process going forward,” he added.

Head coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, was also at the press conference and addressed the withdrawal of star West Ham striker Michail Antonio from the squad for Thursday’s game.

“Sometimes when it rains it pours in our case. He injured his shoulder during the game against Aston Villa. We were hoping it would be okay but it looks like it won’t. We’re just waiting for the confirmation to see if he’s available for the second game,” he said.

Hartford Athletic striker Romario Williams has been called in to the squad as a replacement.

Hallgrimsson was also asked about how difficult it will be while missing so many key players.

“I’m like all coaches. I like to have my best players on the pitch when that is possible. Of course, it changes how you look at the game but we don’t want to talk much about the players that can’t play for us,” he said.

“We like to focus on those who are here and give them all the support they need. It gives others an opportunity that they have been waiting for to step up to the big stage and hopefully they will take it,” he added.

On a more positive note, Hallgrimsson praised the facilities at Dallas Baptist University, where the Reggae Boys have had their last two training sessions, as the best he’s experienced since taking over the Reggae Boyz in 2022.

“Ever since I got to Jamaica, these are the best facilities and the best pitch we have had to prepare so I’m really pleased with the people at the University helping us,” he said.

“We have tried to do all we can to prepare the team for such an important and difficult match against the USA,” he added.

Blake also added his two cents on the matter.

“It’s always good to get more time but we did make use of the two days. As coach said, it’s a really good pitch to get a proper training session in,” he said.

You can watch the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals live on SportsMax on Thursday.

Senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is now left to rethink strategy as young Sheffield Wednesday striker Bailey Cadamarteri has opted to represent England Under-19s instead of taking up his spot in Jamaica's team for their Concacaf Nations League semi-final clash with United States on Thursday. 

After naming Cadamarteri in his 23-man squad, Hallgrimsson praised the attributes of the rising star, who he believed could add value to the senior Reggae Boyz setup. However, shortly after Hallgrimsson's announcement, England released its youth squad which also included Cadamarteri.

Despite having his Jamaican passport, the 18-year-old Cadamarteri placed the senior Reggae Boyz option on hold for the time being and will be hoping to get his first runout in England colours this week when the Under-19s play Morocco and the United States in North Africa.

This means Hallgrimsson, will not only have to wait to get the six-foot tall player in Jamaica's colours, but will also have to call up a replacement of equal or better quality.

“Firstly, he's like Kaheim Dixon (another young Jamaican attacker). He has got goals written all over him...in his youth career, he’s scored a lot of goals. But for me, as a striker what catches my eye is that he’s really hard working, he’s got constant running in behind defences, and he’s a good link up player," Hallgrimsson said of Cadamarteri in a recent press conference. 

“He’s clever using spaces and his technique is really good, so I think he has all the attributes that a good striker should have - but he’s still young, like Kaheim Dixon," he added.

Cadamarteri is believed to be very open to the idea of playing for Jamaica in the future, something that won’t be affected by turning out for the Three Lions at youth level.

Cadamarteri, who earns his Jamaican stripes through father Danny, a former Everton stalwart in the 1990s and early 2000s, also qualifies to represent Italy through heritage.

By virtue of the FIFA ruling regarding youth caps, Cadamarteri still has the option to switch his senior international allegiance from England.

Hallgrimsson is expected to address the issue during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Shaquan Davis and strikers Kaheim Dixon and Bailey Cadamarteri have been included in Heimir Hallgrimsson's senior Reggae Boyz side for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League (CNL) semi-final contest against United States on March 21.

Though Davis, who represents Mount Pleasant and Dixon, of Arnett Gardens, both made their senior team debut in the recent friendly series against Trinidad and Tobago, it is their first time making the Reggae Boyz Nations League roster, while British-born Cadamarteri is being called to the Jamaican set up for the first time.

The six-foot tall 18-year-old, who plays for Sheffield Wednesday, alongside another Reggae Boy Dishon Bernard, also has Italian and Irish descent, but chose to honour his Jamaican heritage.

In fact, the rising English Championship sensation was interested in playing for Ireland, but doesn’t qualify, as his great grandparents hails from the Emerald Isle.

Still, their loss is Jamaica's gain and Hallgrimsson and company will be eager to put his skills to the test at some point in time in this crucial semi-final contest. 

Cadamarteri burst onto the scene this season with three goals in 11 Championship outings for the Owls and qualifies to represent Jamaica through his father Danny Cadamarteri, who played for Everton in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Meanwhile, a notable absentee from the 23-man squad is Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, who misses out on a spot in the squad after he was suspended for breaking curfew during the last national camp.

Squad: Andre Blake, Shaquan Davis, Jahmali Waite, Richard King, Damion Lowe, Dishon Bernard, Michael Hector, Dexter Lembikisa, Tayvon Gray, Greg Leigh, Daniel Johnson, Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Reid, Karoy Anderson, Kasey Palmer, Renaldo Cephas, Cory Burke, Demarai Gray, Bailey Cadamarteri, Shamar Nicholson, Michail Antonio, Jamal Lowe, Kaheim Dixon

Newly appointed Under-20 Reggae Boyz Head coach Jerome Waite, is looking forward to the challenge of possibly qualifying the country to its first Under-20 Men's World Cup since the Argentina feat in 2001. 

The veteran tactician, who heads Jamaica Premier League (JPL) outfit, Tivoli Gardens, and Manning Cup unit, Wolmer’s Boys’ School, was appointed as replacement for John Wall, who led the team through the first phase of qualifying with victories over Grenada, Martinique and Bermuda in St Kitts and Nevis recently.

Waite brings a wealth of experience to the position, as he previous led or assisted with teams at the Under-20, Under-23 and senior levels.

In fact, Waite was at the helm when the young Reggae Boyz went into the 2018 tournament without much preparation or expectation, but surprised the entire nation when they finished level on 13 points from five games with CONCACAF kingpins, Mexico, at the top of the group. However, Mexico qualified for the second round by virtue of a better goal difference than the Jamaicans, as only the group winner advanced.

Since then, Jamaica's closest run to qualification was when they made the quarterfinal of the 2022 tournament in Honduras.

"It is always a joy working with the national programme. It will be great going into the qualifiers with this group of players. Qualification will not be easy, but it is something that can be accomplished," Waite said.

Waite's appointment comes as Wall has been recalled from the Under-20 assignment by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

According to a press release from the JFF, Wall's focus will be on his role as assistant head coach to Heimir Hallgrímsson as the senior men’s team prepares for their Nations League semi-final fixture against the United States later this month.

“The Jamaica Football Federation has decided to recall coach John Wall from duties with the under-20 team, so he can better concentrate on assisting Hallgrimsson in preparing the senior men's national team for the numerous competitions ahead,” an official statement read.

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz, who topped Group F, joined other group winners Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Canada in the Championship round where they are set to meet the six pre-seeded nations – United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

The championship will be hosted in Guanajuato, Mexico in June, with the group draw set for April.

While admitting that there is a deficit in Jamaica’s football where coaching education is concerned, senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson says the onus is on coaches across the island to make the necessary step towards personal development until better opportunities arise.

Hallgrimsson shared this view after engaging coaches during a recently-concluded two-month tour of the island where he, along with assistants John Wall and Merron Gordon, hosted clinics and assessed facilities, as well as some aspiring national players.

Though the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and Concacaf occasionally hosts licence coaching courses, and there was also the Joan Duncan Foundation-sponsored coaching school, the general consensus, according to Hallgrimsson is that those are inadequate.

“It was quite similar in every parish. Everyone talked about coaching education, lack of coaching education and the lack of opportunities to learn. So, I think that was one of the concerns. The second thing was, was the pitches and that has been kind of my cry, from day one that we really need to improve our facilities, our pitches,” Hallgrimsson shared in a recent interview with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) media.

“That is in every parish. The coaches and the administrators of clubs were complaining about both lack of access to pitches and also the quality of the services and because of that, some or most parish coaches said it was sometimes difficult to get kids into training,” he added.

Well aware that coaches play a significant role in player development, particularly at the grassroots and youth levels, Hallgrimsson agreed that proper coaching education and good facilities should be given more consideration for investments, but in the same breath, the Icelander argued that coaches need to take more initiative in certain regards.

“I think though a problem with most here in Jamaica is that they are waiting for something to happen. The complaints are that an investor needs to come and change this, or the JFF needs to do it, or the government needs to do this so we can do that. But I think it all starts and finishes with us as coaches,” he declared.

“We just need to start to roll, to get things rolling to make football attractive, to make kids want to come to your football sessions. It's not even about the facilities, even though they are important in developing good football players, but it's about the coach. So, I think it all starts with us coaches to do whatever we can do to get the best training we can from what we have,” Hallgrimsson opined.

That said, Hallgrimsson pointed out that with the right enthusiasm, coaches can utilize the advancement in technology to improve their knowledge of the profession, not just technical and tactical, but more around fitness, nutrition, recovery and the psychological aspect of things.

“Even now, the high-level teams are looking into how players sleep, their breathing, into meditation, all of these things. So, I would say at the moment, Jamaica is behind in coaching education, and we need to step up there. The good thing about today is the technology. The technology there is so fantastic that you can actually tap into all knowledge in a flash,” Hallgrimsson reasoned.

He continued: “So if you are an enthusiastic coach, you can actually with Google, go into the correct websites and apps and you can get all the knowledge you need so you can fast forward your coaching education. So even though it will be a license system, and you need a licence as a coach, you can still be a really, really good coach without a licence.

“So, you know two things goes go hand in hand. I think if you have a licence, you've already gone through some learning process, but you could also be a good coach without the licence. So, I encourage everyone just to be creative and look for information if you are, if you are a coach.”

Still, Hallgrimsson stressed the need for holistic development in the country’s football, both from a coaching and a facilities perspective.

“For players’ development, the two most important ingredients are coaching education and the facilities to coach football, and both are pretty much behind here in Jamaica. Only with changing these two factors will the development of players be totally different as it will be faster to produce better players,” said Hallgrimsson.

“There are a lot of other factors to produce good players, but if these two are lacking, then there will always be a hurdle that will be difficult to jump over. Therefore, the sooner we change those things, the quicker we develop,” he ended.

The tour was a part of Hallgrimsson’s objective to focus on local players in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) and gauge their progress for possible inclusion in his team for the CONMEBOL Copa America and Concacaf World Cup qualifiers later this year. The Boyz are scheduled to face United States in the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals on March 21.

Jamaica’s local-based players and United States-born goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert will have the opportunity to impress Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson and possibly break into the final squad for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League (CNL) semi-final assignment against United States on March 21.

This, as the 22 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) players and Hibbert, who was recently signed by Atlanta United 2, makes up Hallgrimsson’s 23-player squad down to contest a two-match friendly series against Caribbean neighbours Trinidad and Tobago on Friday and Sunday, in the twin island republic.

The games which are scheduled to be played at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, and the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, are both set to be contested at 3:00pm Jamaica time.

Hibbert, 19, who was signed through the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, will become an Atlanta United First Team player effective next year, but until then, he will be hoping to secure a place in Hallgrimsson’s side for not only the CNL game, but also for the Copa America and World Cup qualifiers later this year.

The number 19 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft played two years at the University of Connecticut, where he started in all 14 games for the Huskies in 2023. The sophomore made 41 saves and picked up three clean sheets. He collected a season-high fives saves in three matches last season while earning Big East Goalkeeper of the Week honours twice. Prior to joining UConn, Hibbert won a state and national title at St. Benedict’s Prep.

Meanwhile, along with assisting Hallgrimsson decide on which local-based players to include in the final Reggae Boyz squad for the CNL semi-final engagement, both games will also assist Angus Eve and his Soca Warriors in gauging their readiness for the upcoming Copa America qualifying encounter against Canada, scheduled for March 23.

This two-match friendly series is basically a return leg of sorts following Trinidad and Tobago’s visit to Jamaica for two games last year. The Soca Warriors won the second friendly in Montego Bay 1-0, after the first match ended goalless.

The two teams later met at the Concacaf Gold Cup in June where Jamaica came away comfortable 4-1 winners in the Gold Cup group stage meeting.

Squad: Kemar Foster (Waterhouse FC), Shaquan Davis (Mount Pleasant Academy), Jayden Hibbert (Atlanta United), Kyle Ming (Cavalier FC), Richard King (Cavalier FC), Garth Stewart (Harbour View FC), Ricardo Thomas (Dunbeholden FC), Sue-Lae McCalla (Mount Pleasant Academy), Stephen Young (Portmore United), Joel Cunningham (Arnett Gardens FC), Emelio Rousseau (Portmore United), Alex Marshall (Portmore United), Shamour Smith (Montego Bay United), Jahshaun Anglin (Harbour View FC), Romeo Guthrie (Mount Pleasant Academy), Jamone Shepherd (Arnett Gardens FC), Kaheim Dixon (Arnett Gardens FC), Fabian Reid (Arnett Gardens FC), Shaniel Thomas (Cavalier FC), Jason Wright (Moylnes United), Justin Dunn (Tivoli Gardens FC), Andre Fletcher (Waterhouse FC), Devante Campbell (Mount Pleasant Academy)

Trinidad and Tobago's senior Soca Warriors will up the ante on preparations for their upcoming Copa America qualifying assignment, when they tackle Jamaica's Reggae Boyz in a two-match friendly series on Friday and Sunday.

The games which are scheduled to be played at the Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, and the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, are both set to be contested at 4:00pm Trinidad and Tobago time. Both games will assist Angus Eve and his Soca Warriors in gauging their readiness for the upcoming Copa America qualifying encounter against Canada, scheduled for March 23.

They will also assist Heimir Hallgrimsson, and his Reggae Boyz, who are also in preparation mode for their Concacaf Nations League (CNL) semi-final engagement with United States set for March 21.

Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica met three times last year, twice in friendly matches in Montego Bay, and those were followed by their Concacaf Gold Cup clash in June. The Soca Warriors won the second friendly 1-0, after the first match ended goalless.

However, Jamaica came away comfortable 4-1 winners in the Gold Cup group stage meeting.

Jamaica were also responsible for sending Canada into the Copa America playoff match, by virtue of the away goal rule, after they rallied to secure a 4-4 aggregate scoreline in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal in November.

Like Canada, Eve's Soca Warriors also missed out on an automatic place at the 2024 Copa America, as they lost 2-4 on aggregate to United States, despite winning the second leg 2-1 in Port of Spain.

Since then, Eve has backed his team to remain competitive and, by extension, build on that momentum from the win against United States.

“Like the US team, the Canada team is built up the same, (with) a lot of European-based players. Some of the players (are) playing in the MLS (Major League Soccer), some playing back home, but most of the players are playing in Europe and they are playing with good teams,” Eve assessed in a recent interview.

“But we think we can go in there; we think we can compete with anyone right now and we want to show that. We want to show that confidence that we could go out on the park and compete with anyone,” he added.

Eve believes that with the right application, the team will compete strongly against Canada, as well as in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, which promises to be both demanding and exciting.

“We just have to be tactically aware. A coach can only give instructions. When the players go out there, they have to have the mindset to play the position, to play the role that the coaches give them to the best of their ability because, a coach could never tell a player what to do for every second of every minute of a game,” he reasoned.

"We will use those games (against Jamaica) as the final two warm-up games going into the CONMEBOL playoff match and when that happens, then we will pick that final squad,” Eve declared.

The winner of the playoff between Trinidad and Tobago and Canada, will join Jamaica, United States, Mexico, Panama and either Costa Rica or Honduras, as the Concacaf representatives at the prestigious Copa America, which will be hosted in the United States from June 20 to July 14.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson knows his team is in for a tough time given their draw for next year’s CONMEBOL Copa America but fancies their chances of beating the odds.

This, as their Group B opponents –Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador –are all familiar foes to some extent, and given the significant improvements in terms of the quality of players his Reggae Boyz squad now boats, Hallgrimsson believes the group is going to produce some very interesting matches.

Though this will be his first time leading the Reggae Boyz in the prestigious Copa America, the occasion marks the third time Jamaica will grace South American tournament, after appearances in 2015 when they faced Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, and 2016 when they opposed Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.

“I didn't know much about Venezuela, but after thinking, it's tough teams really, all the three teams. If I can say something similar about them all, is that they are competitive, really hard working, and all of these nations play enthusiastic and tough tackling football. So, it's all tough, tough opponents, but I think it's quite an equal group,” Hallgrimsson said.

“So that means, I don't think any team will be a runaway winner with nine points in this group. I think all teams will have a chance against each other, so it is quite an equal group. There is not a team that anybody can take for granted, and I don’t think there is a team that will be a runaway winner,” he added.

While Jamaica has squared off against Mexico and Venezuela a number of times over the years, they have only faced Ecuador three times in 2009, 2011 and 2018, losing two of those games 2-5 and 0-2, while the other ended in a goalless stalemate.

“So, in that sense if we prepare well and get our points, we will always have a chance to progress from this group, but I think all the teams will think the same. So, that is my feeling and after looking at the opponents I feel a little bit better,” Hallgrimsson declared.

“I didn't know much about Venezuela, I knew a little bit about Ecuador, and of course, we know a lot about Mexico, but I think that everyone has a chance in these games. So, all teams can pick points from each other,” he noted.

Having produced a stunning comeback to better Canada in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal recently, Hallgrimsson pointed out that their preparations will be focused on maintaining that momentum in the semi-final against United States, before turning their focus to the Copa America in June.

“We had already made a plan what was going to happen. So, the early months of the year, in January, maybe half of February, we'll go in Jamaica for domestic players. Hopefully we will get a friendly against a Caribbean nation or maybe in United States. So, in January US-based players can also play these matches.

“But the plan was always to focus on the domestic based players in January and maybe beginning of February. Then from maybe mid-February, we have to think about the Nation's League semifinal against US. So, we turn our focus to that project and then of course after that we will have the draw for the World Cup (qualifying) games,” the Icelandic coach shared.

“So that will be complete focus on those games. So, we are kind of forced to turn our focus to the next project all the time and then after the World Cup (qualifying) games we we've turned our focus to the Copa America. So that is our plan, it's a full schedule and we have to be really focused on every project, because all of these matches are important,” he ended.

Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26, before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.

In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.

In an intriguing draw held on Thursday night, Jamaica's national football team, the Reggae Boyz, discovered their fate in the upcoming 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America. Placed in Group B, they are poised to face formidable opponents such as Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the tournament set to begin in June 2024.

This marks Jamaica's third venture into the prestigious Copa America, following their spirited appearances in 2015 and 2016. In the Group Stage of 2015, the Reggae Boyz shared the field with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, while in 2016, they navigated a challenging path against Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.

Expressing his contentment with the draw, head coach Heimir Halgrimsson acknowledged the tough opponents but remained optimistic about his team's chances. "It is a fairly good draw. All teams are higher than us on the FIFA ranking, but still, it’s teams that we have a good chance of winning, so I am not so unhappy with the draw," stated the coach. He emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming matches while also highlighting the challenge posed by the match venues, situated in Las Vegas, Houston, and Boston, where the summer heat may prove disadvantageous for training.

Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26 before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.

In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.

Former Portmore United striker Maalique Foster and Tyreek Magee make a long-awaited return to international football, as they join newcomer Jonathan Bell in the senior Reggae Boyz squad to face Guatemala on Saturday.

The friendly international is scheduled to take place at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Foster, who currently represents Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the USL, last represented Jamaica in 2019 in Concacaf Nations League B action when he scored twice in their 6-0 beating of Aruba in Willemstad, Curacao.

Prior to that, the now 24-year-old Foster scored a late equalizer in the Boyz 2-2 stalemate with South Korea in a friendly contest in Turkey.

Now back, the nippy attacker, who is also known for his pace up front, will be hoping to impress Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson and company, especially with the Nations League quarterfinals against Canada, and possibly an appearance in next year’s Copa America, to come.

Magee, 24, who also plies his trade in the USL with the Switchbacks, made a solitary appearance for the Boyz last year, and like Foster, will be aiming to make this opportunity count.

Bell, 26, is an American-born defender, who currently represents Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit St Louis City.

Meanwhile, Lamonth Rochester is making his transition from the national youth setup, while Shaneil Thomas and Shaqeil Bradford, would have been called up to the senior setup at some point or another without making the final cut.

Squad: Amal Knight, Jahmali Waite, Richard King, Kyle Ming, Jamoi Topey, Lamonth Rochester, Damani Osei, Jonathan Bell,  Javain Brown, Shaneil Thomas, Lamonth Rochester, Trayvone Reid, Shaqeil Bradford, Devon Williams, Demario Phillips, Ramone Howell, Romario Williams, Deshane Beckford, Maalique Foster

While it was not the most polished performance, Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz did enough to ease past Grenada 4-1 in their Concacaf Nations League Group B encounter and move one step closer to a League A quarterfinals berth.

Despite starting without a number of the regulars, Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side raced to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of Kevon Lambert (13th) and Shamar Nicholson (23rd), before Demarai Gray (74th) and stand-in captain Bobby Reid (87th), made the three points safe.

Trevon Williams (30th) got Grenada’s consolation in the keenly contested encounter at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

With the win, their second of the tournament, the Jamaicans moved up to seven points, three ahead of second-placed Cuba (four points), who were scheduled to face third-placed Honduras (three points) in the group’s late kickoff.

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Haiti (three points) and fifth-placed Suriname (two points), played out a 1-1 stalemate in Paramaribo. Grenada remains at the foot of the standing with a solitary point.

It was a patient start by the Reggae Boyz in St George’s, as they took their time to breakdown Grenada’s defence and eventually found the go-ahead goal from a set play.

Gregory Leigh’s weighted corner kick was deflected towards goal by Romario Williams, but the effort was brilliantly kept out by Jason Belfon diving full stretch to his left. However, the custodian had no response to Lambert’s follow-up shot in a goalmouth melee.

The Boyz went close to doubling the lead three minutes later when Gray embarked on a darting run and played off a pass to Nicholson, whose effort was charged down by Darius Johnson, putting his body on the line.

Grenada belatedly came to life in attack a minute later with Josh Gabriel rifling a left-footed drive from a distance, but Jahmali Waite, who started in place of captain Andre Blake, proved equal to the task.

That was the start of a good, sustained attacking spell for Grenada, as they camped out in the Jamaicans half like a pack of hungry wolves, but their hunt for the equalizer proved fruitless.

They later paid for it when Nicholson extended the Jamaicans lead. The towering striker picked up a pass from Williams, slipped his marker and easily tucked a left-footed effort past Belfon.

Grenada pulled one back on the half-hour mark through Williams’s deflection on Johnson’s follow-up effort. The initial shot by Gabriel was kept out by Waite.

Both teams created chances at the backend of the half but failed to capitalise. While the Jamaicans went in 2-1 up, it was Grenada that enjoyed the momentum at the break.

Unlike they did at the start, the Boyz were more purposeful on the resumption and had opportunities to push further ahead. However, they were denied by faulty shooting and some good work by Belfon, at times.

On one of those occasions, Belfon did well to block Williams's shot from close range in the 58th minute.

Four minutes later, a good through pass from Reid found debutant Karoy Anderson and the 19-year-old dismissed his marker, but selfishly went for a shot from a tight angle.

Grenada almost pulled level in the 70th when Regan Charles-Cook got behind defenders, but Waite left his line well to avert the danger.

Jamaica asserted their authority in the latter stages of the contest and inevitably pushed further ahead through Gray. The former Everton man used his pace to good effect on the left channel, as he charged into the box and placed a right-footer past Belfon.

Reid added another three minutes from time. He got on the end of Daniel Johnson’s free kick and made no mistakes from close range.

After being initially left out for what Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson described as a lack of match fitness, young star Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards has been added to the senior Reggae Boyz squad for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League games against Grenada and Haiti.

Richards, who will celebrate his 18th birthday on Wednesday was called up, as a number of players are faced with injuries, among other challenges, ahead of Thursday's fixture against the Spice Boys.

Right-back Javain Brown is out due to injury, and Adrian Mariappa has relinquished his place in the squad due to personal reasons, while Renaldo Cephas is out due to flight challenges.

Meanwhile, striker Michail Antonio, though still in the squad, will only contest the game against Haiti in Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday.

The 56th-ranked Jamaicans, who bettered Honduras 1-0 and came-from-behind for a 2-2 stalemate with Haiti, both at the National Stadium, currently sit atop Group B in League A on four points, same as second-placed Cuba.

Victories in both games, would guarantee Hallgrimsson’s side a spot in next month’s quarter-final where they would face Canada or Costa Rica, provided Cuba does not surpass them on goal difference, should they too win their two encounters.

If the Boyz were to finish in the runners-up position, they would have United States or Mexico to contend with in their hunt for a Copa America berth.

Squad: Andre Blake, Kemar Foster, Jahmali Waite, Javain Brown, Tayvon Gray, Di’Shon Bernard, Michael Hector, Greg Leigh, Adrian Mariappa, Damion Lowe, Dexter Lembikisa, Bobby Decordova Reid, Daniel Johnson, Joel Latibeaudiere, Kevon Lambert, Karoy Anderson, Demario Phillips, Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Shamar Nicholson, Romario Williams, Renaldo Cephas