Jamaica's Reggae Boyz Move Up By Five (5) Places in FIFA World Rankings!

Following Jamaica's FIFA(Fédération Internationale de Football) Friendly International Football Match against Guatemala on Wednesday evening (November 21,2007), we heard yesterday, that Jamaica has moved up by five (5) places in the FIFA World Rankings.

(FIFA is the world's governing football association.)

(The match was played at Jamaica's National Stadium "The Office", a former bastion, where we were never beaten. Jamaica beat Guatemala 2-0 in this match.)

This match follows the other Friendly International Match that Jamaica played against El Salvador (also at "The Office"), on Sunday, November 18, 2007,where we beat El Savador, 3-0.

This means that Jamaica has moved up from no. 103 in October 2007, to no. 98 in November 2007, in the FIFA World Rankings.

I feel so proud of the Reggae Boyz (Jamaica's Football Team)...it's good to see members of the "old guard" back:guys like Ian Goodison, Ricardo Gardner, Ricardo Fuller, Tyrone Marshall (these guys represented Jamaica in the France World Cup of 1998) and to see them playing like lions.

Guys who are playing professional football in Europe and the US, who want to give back to Jamaica, because of what our football, at the International level, has given to them.

(As a result of the quality football, that the then Reggae Boyz played during their qualifying matches for the France 1998 World Cup and the resulting exposure that the Reggae Boyz got from qualifying, these guys were scouted by coaches from Europe and USA.)

It's also good to see Theodore "Tappa" Whitmore,former Jamaican midfielder and captain, as interim coach, supported by his assistant coach and former national women's coach, Bradley Stewart...they coached Jamaica,in both these matches.

"Tappa" has done what Bora Milutinovic (former coach and Technical Director of Jamaica's Football Programme), couldn't do...that is to excite and motivate these guys to play their hearts out.

Yes, it's true that most of the team now consists of Jamaican players who are playing professional football, abroad...but if that's what it takes to show our current, home-based players, that they have to aim higher and change their attitude about discipline and winning, to be included on the team, then that's what it will have to take.

As far as I'm concerned, Bora Milutinovic got US $400,000 (the amount of money, the Jamaica Football Federation had to pay him to terminate his contract) under false pretenses...

He kept saying that he didn't care about winning...well now we see what people who really care about the future of Jamaican football and who really care about winning, have done for Jamaica's Football Programme.

I want to congratulate Captain Horace Burrell, current President of the Jamaica Football Federation(JFF), for having the guts to fire Velibor "Bora" Milutinovic and for bringing back the level of professionalism that we're used to seeing, in Jamaica's Football Programme.

It is my wish that the sponsors will continue to believe in Captain Burrell's leadership and continue to support Jamaican football, at all levels.

(Rene Simoes, the Brazilian coach who got Jamaica to the World Cup in 1998, will be replacing Bora Milutinovic, as Jamaica's permanent coach/(Technical Director).)

I only hope that:

1. Captain Burrell and the JFF learn from this experience and ensure that there are at least two (2) Jamaican coaches who will be seriously understudying Rene Simoes...it is now time for Jamaican coaches to be able to take a Jamaican football team to the World Cup and get us to at least the third round of competition.


2. The JFF acquires the services of an astute and experienced sports lawyer, who will construct Renee Simoes' contract, so that he will be paid, based on results and that he won't be able to hold us at ransom, in the way in which Bora Mulutinovic, was able to.

I've included  the YouTube.com video from, ItsMisterPawToU, above. (I apologize for the low quality of the video...but's it's the only one available via Youtube.com)

It shows the two goals that were scored in the Jamaica-Guatemala match on Wednesday (the first by Ricardo Fuller and the second, by Omar Daley). I want to thank ItsMisterPawToU for the kind use of his video. (You can find his other video on the goals scored in the Jamaica-El Salvaldor match on Sunday, here.)

Sources Include:

1) Article, "Milutinovic sacked by Jamaica", Associated Football Press, November 9, 2007.

2) Article, "'Tappa' to coach Boyz for friendlies", by Robert Bailey (Freelance Writer), Jamaica Gleaner, November 11, 2007

3) Jamaica's FIFA World Rankings, FIFA.com

4) The Reggae Boyz Forum:Post Game Reports/Analysis Jamaica vs Guatemala, November 22,2007
 

Gillian