Jamaica’s Young Reggae Boyz’ path to the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in Panama next year will no doubt mirror the image of a death-defying dash through a minefield.
In their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) final play-offs in Trinidad and Tobago September 16th – 25th, Jamaica are drawn in a sticky Group A with eternal rivals Haiti, the hosts, and a not-to-be-taken lightly Bermuda.
Although the top-five teams from the CFU Finals automatically qualify for the CONCACAF stage in Panama April 21st - May 7th, it would make perfect sense for Jamaica to tread carefully as there will be little room for error in this the proverbial ‘Group of Death’.
“Our group is Bermuda, Haiti and Trinidad and we play them in that order… the most important thing for me is to prepare for the Bermuda game and get a positive result,” said coach, Andrew Edwards.
“On paper, Bermuda could be considered a minnow in football in the Caribbean, therefore it is expected that we should get three points from that game,” noted the Jamaican coach.
Edwards knows that is easier said than done as ultimately, the game is won or lost on the field of play.
“However, I am not taking that approach on the basis that I have known for some time that the Bermuda Football Association has been investing in coaching and player education through the ‘Generation X’ programme at Valencia in Spain.
“I actually had some videos of their coaches talking about their experiences there, and they have gone down to St Vincent and won a group of the hosts, St Lucia and Grenada, all countries with better footballing history in the Caribbean than themselves, and that is an indication that there is some growth taking place in Bermuda,” said Edwards.
Speaking to the Jamaica Observer, that the approach in principle to the Bermuda game will be no less than that of the other opponents in the group.
“We want to approach the game with purpose, with clarity and a plan, and being able to execute that plan as best we can and to ensure we get three points from the first game,” noted Edwards.
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