The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was forced to admit guilt for its continued lead role in the foul-ups and blunders which remain a constant with the program of the Senior National Women’s team in their final preparation phase ahead of the FIFA World Cup finals.
The Girlz on Thursday issued a statement on social media highlighting their never-ending disgust with the JFF’s management of their preparation heading into Australia and New Zealand, hosts of the 2023 FIFA World Cup Finals.
They cited subpar planning, transportation, accommodations, training conditions, compensation, communication, nutrition, and accessibility to proper resources as areas of concern.
The local governing body, which has long been dogged by its handling of the various teams in recent years, issued a release hours later acknowledging culpability in the matter.
“The Jamaica Football Federation has heard the concerns of the Reggae Girlz and we are taking them seriously,” the release stated without providing any specifics.
“We acknowledge that things have not been done perfectly, and we are working assiduously to resolve them. We will continue to support the team in every way possible so that they can be successful at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.”
Subsequently, both JFF President Mike Ricketts and General Secretary Dennis Chung have confirmed owing monies to the ladies for some time, and they have promised to have that specific area resolved as soon as FIFA releases the World Cup funds as well as when monies from the Adidas agreement are provided.
The players had complained that their questions and concerns regarding the stated issues have not been addressed and that the situation has affected their preparations negatively.
“We were told that all our requests and concerns would be resolved in a timely manner. Unfortunately, that time has expired, and once again our questions go unanswered and our concerns unresolved,” the letter read.
They added: “In recent months, due to extreme disorganization of camp logistics, we have missed several official FIFA friendly matches. This will undoubtedly impact our preparations for Australia. The Reggae Girlz consist of professionals and collegiate footballers who are spread across the world. To be left questioning whether a camp will even take place two or three days before the expected start is unprofessional and often unfairly prohibitive for some of our players.”
The Reggae Girlz are currently wrapping up a training camp in Jamaica, slated for Monday, after which they will return to their various homes of abode.
They are expected to regroup in another training camp in The Netherlands from where they will depart for the FIFA World Cup Finals.
The players are now demanding meaningful change from the governing body.
“We hope that by using our platforms to express the reality of our situation, our efforts will be reciprocated. We hope there will be “immediate and systematic change within the federation and those in charge of protecting the integrity of women’s football.”
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