Jamaica continues its quest in the CONCACAF Nations League A Group B competition against bottom-placed Grenada inside the Grenada National Stadium at 6:00 pm (Jamaica time) on Thursday.
The Jamaicans lead the group on four points, the same as Cuba, with Honduras next on three points, followed by Haiti on two points, with Suriname and Grenada on one point each.
In other Group B games on Thursday, Suriname hosts Haiti, and Cuba entertains Honduras.
Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has warned the hosts that his charges will be taking the game seriously, as they look to cement a place atop the group.
“We are serious, we want to qualify from this group, we’ve looked at Grenada a lot, studied them how they are playing and we are preparing as well as we possibly can,” he told the gathering at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.
He added: “We are going for the win, we are fully focused on the task of the opponent, and hopefully we can give a good performance tomorrow, that is kind of our mental approach to this.”
Boyz squad depleted
Hallgrimsson and his technical staff had selected a 23-man squad but injuries and other personal issues have depleted the squad. Defender Javain Brown and Adrian Mariappa have withdrawn from the squad, as has striker Renaldo Cephas, who has encountered travel difficulties in Turkey due to the ongoing conflict in Israel.
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio will only be available for Sunday’s second game against Haiti in Trinidad.
Teenager Dujuan Richards has been summoned to the squad to replace Cephas.
The Reggae Boyz assembled in Grenada on Monday and held two training sessions at the match venue on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
If the Reggae Boyz secure victory in their upcoming matches and maintain their position atop Group B, they will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Canada or Costa Rica. If they finish as runners-up, they will face Mexico or the US for a chance to participate in the Copa America Tournament scheduled for June 20 to July 14 next year in the US.
‘We need the three points’- Hallgrimsson
Hallgrimsson emphasized the importance of reaching the playoffs for various reasons, including the opportunity to compete in the semi-finals and potentially the final of the Nations League, which could lead to participation in the Copa America next summer.
He views these opportunities as crucial for the team’s growth and development, with an eye on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“We are only focusing on this game, not the next game, we are taking it really seriously as we need the three points and we will do everything we can,” the Icelandic coach further noted.
In the opener against Honduras inside Kingston’s National Stadium, Jamaica won 1-0 before rallying from two goals down to draw level with Haiti 2-2, also inside Kingston’s National Stadium.
For those games the team looked patchy at best, and it seemed void of creativity and cohesion with direct, route one football being the order of the day.
“We are always working on our tactics. Sometimes we go through the midfield, sometimes we go flanks and we go direct, we are trying to improve in our weaker areas and you may see that tomorrow,” offered Hallgrimsson.
For their part, Grenada has been woeful. They opened with a 1-1 result with Suriname, before being smashed 4-0 by Honduras on the last occasion.
The Jamaican coach has recalled 31-year-old Michael Hector, while giving a first call-up to the senior squad to Charlton Athletics’ 19-year-old Karoy Anderson.
Anderson is a box-to-box midfielder, while Hector plays in central defence or a deep-lying midfielder.
The full squad comprises goalkeepers Andre Blake, Kemar Foster, Jahmali Waite; defenders Tayvon Gray, Di’Shon Bernard, Dexter Lembikisa, Damion Lowe, Michael Hector, Greg Leigh; midfielders Bobby Reid, Daniel Johnson, Joel Latibeaudiere, Kevon Lambert, Karoy Anderson, and Demario Phillips; forwards Michail Antonio, Shamar Nicholson, Leon Bailey, Romario Williams, and Demarai Gray.
