Khadija “Bunny” Shaw will once again suit up for Jamaica, as head coach Hubert Busby confirmed her return for Saturday’s World Cup qualifying showdown against Dominica in Saint Lucia.
The announcement came during a virtual press briefing on Monday, and immediately injected renewed confidence into a squad eager to reassert its regional dominance.
Shaw, now 28, has not featured for the Reggae Girlz since a pair of friendlies against South Africa between late November and early December 2024. Her reappearance arrives at a moment when she is firing on all cylinders for Manchester City in the Barclays Women’s Super League. The prolific forward leads the league with six goals in nine matches, complemented by two assists, helping City maintain first place on 24 points, three ahead of Chelsea.
A carefully managed return
Busby explained that Shaw’s recent absences stemmed from injury recovery and ongoing conversations with Manchester City regarding her workload. The technical staff, Shaw, and her club have been coordinating closely to ensure she returns in peak condition for both country and club.
Jamaica will open the qualifying window on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (Jamaica time) at the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium. The Girlz then travel to Nicaragua on March 2, 2026, before returning home for back-to-back fixtures against Antigua & Barbuda on April 10 and Guyana on April 18.
Only the group winner will advance to November’s 2026 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, a high-stakes, single-elimination tournament featuring quarter-finals, play-ins, semi-finals, a third-place match, and the final.
A direct route to the world stage
The road ahead carries major implications. Four teams from the CONCACAF Championship will secure automatic berths to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Two more nations will enter the inter-confederation playoffs for a last chance at qualification. The tournament will also determine two CONCACAF representatives for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
With Shaw back at the helm of the attack, Jamaica will view this cycle as an opportunity to return to global contention.
Full Squad: Goalkeepers – Rebecca Spencer, Sydney Schneider; Defenders – Konya Plummer, Naya Cardoza, Tianna Harris, Chantelle Swaby, Mia Mitchell, Jaileah McPherson; Midfielders – Tiffany Cameron, Atlanta Primus, Olufolasade Ademolekun, Israela Groves, Drew Spence, Deneisha Blackwood; Forward – Khadija Shaw, Natasha Thomas, Jody Brown, Ricshya Walker, Shania Hayles, Kalyssa Van Zanten, Shaniel Buckley.
