Jamaica’s Under-18 Reggae Boyz endured a tough outing as they suffered a heavy 10-1 defeat against Turkey in their second match at the UEFA Friendship Tournament, held at the Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex on Wednesday.
Turkey dominated from the start, with goals pouring in from multiple players including Mustafa Hekimolu, Gokdeniz Gurpuz, Muhammed Kaya, and Emre Gokay. Additionally, individual braces from Cagri Fedai, Emirhan Arkutcu, and Recep Yalin Dilek contributed to the rout.
Despite the onslaught, Jamaica managed a lone consolation goal in the 88th minute, courtesy of Orane Watson.
The match saw Fenerbahce striker Cagri Fedai opening the scoring for Turkey in the 11th minute, setting the tone for a challenging game for Jamaica. By halftime, Jamaica found themselves trailing 6-0.
Defeat marks Jamaica’s second loss in the tournament
Turkey continued their dominance in the second half, adding another four goals to their tally, with Galatasaray forward Recep Yalin Dilek scoring two of them.
This defeat marks Jamaica’s second loss in the tournament, following their 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia in the opening match.
With zero points and a bottom position in the table, Jamaica’s U18 Reggae Boyz face Mali in their next game. Mali, who have already recorded a draw against Turkey and a win over Saudi Arabia, present another challenging opponent for the young Jamaican squad.
Despite the setbacks, Jamaica will aim to regroup and put up a stronger performance in their upcoming match as they seek their first win in the tournament.
