KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz have secured their spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup after beating Antigua and Barbuda 2-0 on Friday night.
The win, which the Reggae Boyz secured at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, also earned the Jamaican senior men’s team a spot in League A of the Concacaf Nations League, moving up from League B.
Jamaica extended their lead to a perfect 15 points with five matches played in Group C.
In a lively game, it was the visiting Jamaicans who looked the more menacing team early on but were plagued by inaccurate passes and poor finishing in the final third. However, the Reggae Boyz took a 34th-minute lead when Maalique Foster found his way around a number of players to knock the ball into an unguarded net after Antigua goalkeeper Molvin James had spilled an Alvas Powell shot from a tough angle.
The Jamaicans continued to enjoy the dominance in possession, but the hosts also put positive spell together, despite lacking a cutting edge in the final third.
The Reggae Boyz doubled their lead in the 58th minute after Ricardo Morris slammed the ball high into the roof of the net after being played through from a well-weighted Shamar Nicholson pass. The Benna Boys threatened to at least get a consolation goal late on but D’Andre Bishop saw his 82nd minute shot charged down by the Jamaica backline.
Following the victory, Reggae Boyz coach Theodore Whitmore announced that he would be making some changes to the squad going forward. “We have a squad that we can choose from, and while we will be making changes, we will also be seeking to strike a balance and no matter who we play, we must be professional and we will be going after the win and to keep our record perfect,” he said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
The Reggae Boyz will end their CONCACAF League B, Group C first-round schedule when they face Guyana in Jamaica on Monday night.
