The Reggae Girlz launched their CONCACAF W Qualifiers campaign with a staggering show of firepower, pulverizing Dominica 18-0 at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia on Saturday.
Hat-tricks from captain Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Kiki Van Zanten, and Jody Brown headlined a whirlwind performance that left no question about Jamaica’s ambitions.
But behind the avalanche of goals was a theme emphasized repeatedly by both coach and captain: professionalism, standards, and focus.
“The focus the entire week was making sure we got the three points,” said head coach Hubert Busby Jr., framing the lopsided victory as the outcome of a disciplined, businesslike approach. “Credit to the players. They went out there and had a business performance today… led by our captain, Bunny.”
Shaw sets the rhythm as goals pour in
The tone was set almost immediately. With barely two minutes on the clock, former captain Konya Plummer darted onto a clever corner routine and swept home from close range. In that moment, the structure Busby demanded was already visible.
Within sixty seconds, Shaw delivered her captain’s stamp, meeting Jody Brown’s squared pass with a crisp first-time finish to double the lead. Her early strike was emblematic of what she later described as the team’s commitment to consistency and pride.
“Every time we put on the colors it is an honor,” Shaw said. “This is the start of the qualifiers and we wanted to firstly focus on ourselves… I think we had a very professional performance today, and I’m sure the fans and people back home would appreciate it, especially with what they’re going through.”
Moments later, Van Zanten curled in Jamaica’s third after pouncing on a loose ball, before Brown added the fourth, punishing a defensive miscue inside the box. The Girlz were relentless, the tempo irresistible.
Ten before the break as clinical edge returns
From there, the scoreboard surged at dizzying pace.
Atlanta Primus lashed home a low drive through traffic in the 12th minute; Van Zanten struck again in the 21st, courtesy of Shaw’s layoff; Her hat-trick arrived four minutes later from a short corner, her shot taking a deflection on its way in; Brown headed in a pinpoint cross from Naya Cardoza for her brace, and Shaw, always in the right pockets of space, added two more before halftime, completing her own first-half hat-trick with a sharp finish at the near post in the 43rd.
By the interval, Jamaica led 10-0, the match long decided but the standards clearly not.
Busby highlighted that balance between dominance and discipline:
“For the first 15 to 20 minutes it was really good. As the scoreline increases, the level naturally drops off… but we want to play with a certain speed and tempo for 90 minutes. Overall it was a really good performance.”
A second-half surge and new contributors shine
When play resumed, Deneisha Blackwood reignited the scoring with a cool finish six minutes into the half. Though the pace eased for a spell, the closing stages erupted again.
Substitute Shaneil Buckley struck in the 81st after a neat setup from Jaileah McPherson, and within moments Brown completed her hat-trick with an emphatic effort in the 82nd.
The final minutes were a deluge: Natasha Thomas scored twice in rapid succession (86th, 88th); Blackwood added her second in the 89th; Shania Hayles, making her mark in national colors, slotted home during stoppage time, and Buckley capped the night with the last kick of the match for her brace.
It was a finishing burst that reaffirmed the depth Busby praised.
“I’m really pleased with the young ones who came on,” he said. “They understood what was required. Led by our senior group and our captain, the standard has been set… each performance, the players know what’s expected.”
Leadership, identity, and the path ahead
Shaw, returning from a spell away from the national team, underscored that the performance, despite its scoreline, must be viewed through the lens of collective accountability.
“We scored a lot of goals, but we could’ve had more and been more clinical,” she noted. “For me coming in, it’s been a while, so I’m trying to get familiar with the new faces… but as a team there is always room for improvement.”
She also reflected on the privilege of leading a squad shaped by shared responsibility:
“To captain this team… it’s an honor. But we have a lot of leaders within the group. It’s not one person; it’s a collective. We pick each other up when we’re not on it, and commend each other when we are.”
The lopsided win placed Jamaica atop Group B on goal difference, tied on three points with Nicaragua, whom they face next on March 2 in Managua. Busby was clear that the focus turns immediately to that challenge.
“Right now our only focus is Nicaragua,” he said. “We didn’t look past this game… We’ll enjoy this evening, and tomorrow we turn the page. That’s the approach these players have.”
With the top team advancing to the CONCACAF W Championship, and a pathway toward the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Girlz could not have asked for a more emphatic opening statement.
