The Reggae Boyz are set to kick off their CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying campaign today against the Dominican Republic, with head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson cautioning against underestimating their opponents.
The match, scheduled for a 3:30 pm start inside Kingston’s National Stadium, marks the beginning of Jamaica’s quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The game was originally scheduled to kick off at 6:30 pm, which would have better facilitated the working public, but was ordered changed by the governing regional body, CONCACAF, due to inadequate lighting at the facility.
Despite the Dominican Republic’s low ranking at 150th in the world and their lack of qualifications for major tournaments, Hallgrimsson emphasized the strength and tactical improvement of the team under Argentine coach Marcelo Neveleff. “I feel like everybody thinks it’s going to be an easy game for us, but I promise you, it’s not going to be. It’s going to be an equal game,” Hallgrimsson said. “They have different kinds of tactics defending and attacking and are well drilled.”
Strength of the opponent
Hallgrimsson praised the mix of promising young players and seasoned veterans in the Dominican Republic squad, noting their recent successes, including Olympic qualification. “They’ve recruited some really good players playing at a high level in Spain and England; so they also have quality players,” he said. “I’m expecting a tough match.”
The Reggae Boyz will be missing key players due to injuries and unavailability, including Aston Villa star Leon Bailey. Despite this, Hallgrimsson expressed confidence in forwards Shamar Nicholson and Michail Antonio, who are expected to lead the front line. “Both powerful guys, so I’m not afraid even though they didn’t play [much] for their teams because they’ve always performed when playing for Jamaica,” he stated.
With injuries side-lining regular starters like Joel Latibeaudiere, Hallgrimsson sees an opportunity for younger players like teenage star Adrian Reid to step up. “It’s an opportunity for him to measure himself to the others and an opportunity to step up to show what they can do and try to increase the depth in that position,” he explained.
Centre back Di’Shon Bernard underscored the importance of starting the campaign with a win. “Everyone has had good individual seasons so now we come together and make a mark for the country. Everyone is excited and raring to go for the game,” Bernard said. “As long as I have the best performance that I can and everyone else has that same mentality then collectively no one can really beat us.”
Team: Goalkeepers – Shaquan Davis, Jayden Hibbert, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Jahmali Waite.
Defenders – Dexter Lembikisa, Di’Shon Bernard, Greg Leigh, Damion Lowe, Michael Hector, Richard King, Tayvon Gray, Gadail Irving.
Midfielders – Kasey Palmer, Karoy Anderson, Bobby Reid, Daniel Johnson, Alex Marshall, Adrian Reid Jr, Kevon Lambert.
Forwards – Shamar Nicholson, Renaldo Cephas, Michail Antonio, Deshane Beckford, Kaheim Dixon, Fabian Reid, Devonte Campbell.
