The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has announced that it has successfully cleared all outstanding payments owed to the senior Reggae Girlz, marking a significant development in the ongoing dispute between the federation and the senior women’s team.
In addition to settling these financial obligations, the JFF has also committed to processing payments for players who participated in the qualifying rounds but were not included in the final Women’s World Cup squad.
In a statement released on Friday, the JFF expressed its gratitude for the contributions made by all players and conveyed its satisfaction in settling the overdue amounts. This announcement appears to address at least one of the concerns raised by the players, who had recently declined invitations to represent Jamaica in the ongoing qualification matches for the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup.
As a consequence, a new squad was formed, with interim head coach Xavier Gilbert taking the reins, but the team faced a 2-1 defeat to Panama on Wednesday.
JFF issues statement to clarify reasons for dispute
Earlier in the week, the JFF issued a statement to clarify the issues surrounding the dispute. The players had cited unpaid monies and uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation, particularly after the non-renewal of the contract of Lorne Donaldson, who had led the team to a historic round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier in the year.
The JFF explained that the only outstanding payment to the Reggae Girls was the 20 per cent share of the JFF prize money from the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The delay in disbursing this amount stemmed from the lack of clarity in the contract regarding how the 20 per cent should be distributed among the players. The JFF had reached out to the players for their input on the distribution, and when no response was received, they proposed a formula to expedite the process, which was implemented.
The intervention of Jamaica’s sports minister, Olivia Grange, was also noted, although the impact of her involvement on the developments announced on Friday remains unclear.
With the payment issue resolved, the JFF has now shifted its focus to the upcoming qualifier between Jamaica and Guatemala, scheduled for Sunday. This positive step marks a potential turning point in the relationship between the JFF and the Reggae Girlz, as the team looks to move forward in international competitions.
