JFF Flooded With Angry Fan Comments Following Reggae Boyz’s Early Gold Cup Exit
The Reggae Boyz left a sour taste in the mouth of Jamaicans due to their efforts in their third round group stage clash against Panama on Tuesday, July 24. This match was held at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Jamaica’s starting XI for this game consisted of Captain and goalkeeper :Andre Blake. Defenders: Richard King, Ethan Pinnock, Amari’i Bell, Dexter Lembikisa. Midfielders: Joel Latibeaudiere, Jon Russell, Kasey Palmer and Attackers: Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray and Warner Brown.
The Reggae Boyz defended poorly in the first half, conceding three goals in the opening 45 minutes courtesy of a hat trick from Panamanian attacker, Ismael Diaz. Jamaica got one back in the first half with a goal that was headed home by Amari’i Bell and assisted by fellow defender, Lembisika but that only proved to be a consolation as it was the only goal of the game for Jamaica.
Panama shut the door on the Jamaicans in the second half while scoring another goal in the 89th minute, which resulted in a 4-1 scoreline and pretty much the final nail in the coffin for the Reggae Boyz.
This result sent Jamaica crashing out of the Concacaf Gold Cup as they registered just one win and suffered two defeats in three group stage games. The result was posted after the match by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) on their Instagram page and fans didn’t hesitate to voice their disappointment regarding the Reggae Boyz and their lacklustre performance.
One user had this to say, “I’m no professional but there was no pride, passion or purpose here. Who are you guys representing?” Another commented, “This is very embarrassing “
Other users were seemingly calling for the head of Jamaica’s head coach, Steve McClaren.
One user said “Coach fi lose the work-this was embarrassing.“
Sharing the same sentiment, another person commented, “We want a new coach.”
In the post match press conference, McClaren seemed calm and said the result was much needed for the team. He said, “It’s what we needed to see, it’s a wake up call, players were too comfortable.”
“Consistency is key, if we’re not consistent we surely won’t qualify for the World Cup.”
See some more reactions below:
The World Cup qualifiers are just a couple months away for the Reggae Boyz with their first game being on September 6 vs Bermuda. Initially fans were optimistic regarding Jamaica’s chances of topping the group based on results in previous World Cup Games with the Reggae Boyz winning their last two.
However, based on the comments after the last result, feelings of doubt are at large on whether the Jamaicans can pull off the historical feat of qualifying for the competition in Los Angeles 2026 after nearly a 30-year absence from the popular tournament.
See the post match press conference below:
