Former Reggae Boyz Head Coach Winfried Schäfer strongly believes that if Jamaica’s football program is to succeed, the governing body must invest in a long-term plan.
In an exclusive interview with Caribbean National Weekly (CNW) recently, the 72-year-old German, who coached the Reggae Boyz for three years between 2013 and 2016, stressed the importance of developing the local talent. He also says striking the right balance by adding professional talent to complement and motivate the local players is essential.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Germany, England, or Jamaica. You need a long-term plan and national and international cooperation to succeed,” Schäfer offered.
“You can´t think from match to match, from month to month. When I started as a coach in Jamaica, I stressed that point and explained the steps we would have needed to take.”
The Reggae Boyz eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals
The Reggae Boyz were officially eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals during the last round of matches when they lost three consecutive games to Mexico (1-2 at home), Panama (2-3 away), and Costa Rica (0-1 at home).
They remain in seventh place on seven points, well behind leaders Canada on 25 points. The US and Mexico are on 21 points, Panama on 17, Costa Rica on 16, El Salvador on nine, and Honduras at the back on three points.
All eight nations have played 11 games, with three remaining to complete the fixtures.
The Boyz have qualified just once, in 1998 at the France edition, but have found it extremely difficult to replicate that success. Schäfer has his ideas on why that has been the case.
“Key of development is the right balance between the scouting, development, and improvement of the local players on one side and the motivation and integration of players from abroad.
“You need to work with the local players, starting at the U16 on a regular basis, in addition to schools, academies, and clubs. The trainer team of the national team needs to be present to bring local players together as often as possible in a center of excellence and work hand in hand with the coaches of schools and clubs.
“My plan was to help not only the players but also the Jamaican young coaches to develop. There was a reason I chose Miguel Coley as my assistant,” Schäfer noted.
Schäfer’s Reggae Boyz success
Schäfer led the Reggae Boyz to the Caribbean Cup triumph on home soil during his stint in Jamaica. He also guided Jamaica to its first-ever CONCACAF Gold Cup Final appearance. It lost 3-1 to Mexico but became the first Jamaican team to defeat the US on American soil.
In Chile, he also oversaw Jamaica’s invitational participation at the Copa America (South American Championship). The Reggae Boyz lost to Uruguay, Paraguay, and a Lionel Messi-led Argentina by 1-0 margins.
Schäfer was also at the helm in the Copa America Centenario in the US in 2016 and led Jamaica to a 2-1 victory over Chile in Chile that same year.
At the international level Schäfer has coached Thailand and Cameroon, while at the club level he’s coached Borussia Monchengladbach, Karlsruher SC, Vfb Stuttgart, Al-Ahli in the UAE, Al-Ain FC, among others.
He led Karlsruher to the UEFA Cup. As a former midfield player, he has made 438 Bundesliga appearances with 62 goals while winning the German League and UEFA Cup with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Schäfer says the scouted players must be motivated and committed to the cause of playing for Jamaica.
“On the other side, the players from abroad must be examples of professionalism. They need to be leaders and help the local players to improve and develop. Wes Morgan, Joby McAnuff, and many others were very good at that. But you need to find new ways to motivate them, that’s obvious.
“But how to do that?”
Open new opportunities.
He believes this is accomplished through hard work, leading to success and opening opportunities.
“After our success in the 2014 Caribbean Cup, our victory in the semi-final against the USA and our good performance against Mexico in the final of the Gold Cup, clubs in the MLS (Major League Soccer) and Europe became more curious about Jamaican players. In such a moment, you need to be bold, reach out for international co-operation, and invest in the development at home.
“I suggested hiring a handful of youth trainers from Europe to reach out for cooperation with the German football association and restructure hand in hand with the Jamaican clubs and schools the football education of the country. These steps would have motivated the players in Europe and the USA to work even harder for the national team, would have led to more attention from possible international partners, and would have helped to improve the next generation of players in Jamaica.
“Unfortunately, that never happened. It is not too late, but it’s even more work. It’s even more challenging than six years ago.”
