Reggae Girlz captain Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has extended her gratitude to Cedella Marley following her resignation as the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) global women’s football ambassador.
Amid the ongoing discourse between members of the senior national women’s football team and the JFF, Marley announced her resignation from her role at the federation on Thursday via a press release. Marley also criticised the JFF for their continued mistreatment and vilification of the Reggae Girlz by pushing a false narrative in the media.
She further noted in the press release that her attempts to assist with resolution were met with a “noncommittal, generic response.” In the past, Marley has been praised as the Reggae Girlz’ fairy godmother and was further lauded for her contribution to the team by Shaw in a statement on Saturday.
The Manchester City star player hailed Marley as the woman who fought for the team through constant mistreatment and struggles and gave her a chance to believe in her dreams. Reflecting on the abandonment of the women’s senior football programme in 2008 due to a lack of funding, Shaw highlighted that it was Maley’s intervention in 2014 that led to its revival.
She also attributed their historic consecutive qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup to Marley’s dedication to ensuring they were given the opportunity to represent Jamaica. She went on to express her gratitude, sharing Marley’s phrase, “When they said y’all couldn’t, I said tell me why. When they said y’all wouldn’t, I said watch me.”
After Marley’s resignation, it was later announced that the Bob and Rita Marley Foundations would end their support for the JFF’s national women’s programme. However, Marley has promised her continued support of the Reggae Girlz through the Football is Freedom initiative.
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