El Paso Locomotive FC has signed Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Jahmali Waite ahead of the 2024 USL Championship season, the club announced on Thursday.

Waite arrives in El Paso after two seasons with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, helping the club finish as 2023 Eastern Conference Regular Season champions and USL Championship Players’ Shield winners.

Additionally, Waite was awarded the 2023 USL Championship Fans’ Choice Save of the Year. Across the USL Championship regular season and playoffs, Waite started in all 50 of his appearances for Pittsburgh, registering 17 clean sheets and 87 saves (62.59 save %) while only conceding 52 goals during his stint with the club.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Jahmali to El Paso,” Head Coach and Technical Director Brian Clarhaut said.

“He had a fantastic season with Pittsburgh in 2023 and has had impressive games with Jamaica at the international level. Jahmali has great reflexes and athleticism and is naturally very powerful, which helps him own the goal box. Jahmali has tremendous potential and is a top, proven USL goalkeeper who we think will be a very important piece for our goals and ambitions in 2024.” 

The 25-year-old has become a regular call-up for the Jamaica Men’s National Team, making his international debut in late 2022 against Cameroon and contributing to his country’s run to clinch qualification for the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League Semifinals. In total, Waite has eight appearances with the Reggae Boyz.  

“I’m super excited to continue growing and develop my skills in a new environment,” Waite said. “I’m hoping that I can bring positive energy and great qualities that will hopefully help the team win a championship.”  

A youth product of the Philadelphia Union Academy, Waite was a member of the Philadelphia Union II (formerly Bethlehem Steel) 2017 USL Championship squad before going on to play college soccer for Fairleigh Dickinson University (2017-19, 40 appearances) and the University of Connecticut (2020-21, 23 appearances).  

In between seasons during his collegiate career, Waite made appearances in USL League Two. He played in eight matches for Reading United AC, contributing to the clubs’ run to the 2019 USL League Two National Championship, and helped the Ocean City Nor’easters on their path to the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.  

USL Championship team Hartford Athletic have signed Reggae Boyz forward Romario Williams ahead of the 2024 season, pending league and federation approval. 

“I am very excited about the opportunity to play for Hartford and compete in front of one of the best fan bases in the league,” Williams said. “Between the new players joining the roster and the style of play Coach Burke employs, there is so much to be excited about. I am ready to get to work!” 

Williams comes to Hartford with nine years of experience as a professional across MLS, USL Championship, and abroad. A prolific goal scorer, the 29-year-old posted a career year with Colorado Springs in 2023. Williams tied his career high in goals (15) and assists (three) in a season, matching his stellar season with the Charleston Battery in 2017. The 15 tallies led Colorado Springs and were seventh most in the Championship. 

“We are very happy to add a goal scorer like Romario to our attacking core,” said Head Coach and General Manager Brendan Burke. “He’s an experienced player who knows what it takes to win at the highest level, and he will be a leader for this team both on the field and in the locker room.” 

After being taken by the Montreal Impact (now CF Montréal) third overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, Williams made appearances with Atlanta United and the Columbus Crew. His best MLS season came in 2018 with Atlanta, when he appeared in 17 matches and scored a goal to help the club towards their first MLS Cup victory. 

Williams played abroad from 2020 to 2021, scoring three goals with Al Ittihad of the Egyptian Premier League across two full seasons, then adding five more goals with Qadsia SC of the Kuwait Premier League. He returned to the USL Championship in 2022 with New Mexico United.

A native of Portmore, Jamaica, Williams has earned 17 international caps for his home country. He most recently scored a goal for the Reggae Boyz in a 2-1 win over Grenada in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Nations League last October, the third of his international career. 

Reggae Boy and Miami FC midfielder Jahshaun Anglin was arrested on a sexual battery charge in the United States on Wednesday. He appeared in court where bond was set at US$10,000.

Anglin, who has made 15 appearances for the USL Championship club, is accused of agreeing to meet a woman at an apartment where he demanded sex from her. Police reports said he stripped his pants and underwear before he requested sex from the woman, who claims she had never met him before.

Anglin was alleged to have pinned the woman to the ground after she refused to sleep with him and only stopped after someone walked into the apartment, interrupting what was unfolding. The woman, who was in tears from the ordeal, pointed Anglin out to the police.

Anglin signed with Miami FC in January 2021 from Harbour View FC in the Jamaica Premier League.

His performances earned him a call up to the Jamaican Senior National Team, making his debut with the Reggae Boyz in March 2020 at the age of 18. Anglin was also a part of Jamaica’s most recent friendlies against Saudi Arabia in November 2020.