The Reggae Girlz, Jamaica’s senior women’s football team, arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday and is undergoing intense preparation for their international friendly against Costa Rica. The game which is part of the teams’ preparation for the FIFA 2023 World Cup, will be played on Sunday, October 24th at the DRV PNK Stadium at 5 pm.
The Jamaican team that arrived in Fort Lauderdale has two new faces. They are Leicester City’s Page Bailey-Gayle and University of Notre Dame’s Kalyssa van Zanten. Soccer fans will also get to see the skillful and productive striker Khadijah ’Bunny’ Shaw, who currently plays for Manchester City. Shaw has scored 42 goals in 30 appearances for Jamaica.
The weekend soccer festivity is a production of the Football is Freedom initiative, spearheaded by Global Ambassador for the team, Cedella Marley. The organizers are hoping for a big turnout, especially on Sunday, to support the team with crowd energy and much needed funding for its World Cup program.
Both teams are slated to take part in a scrimmage contest on Saturday at the same venue, before the big game on Sunday. On Sunday, spectators will be treated to a pre-game party, entertainment, food trucks, a community marketplace, and a musical half-time show that will be of epic proportion.
The Region’s number four ranked Costa Rica is coming off a two-game match against Panama last month, in which they secured a win and lost the other. Jamaica’s last game was a 0-4 loss against the United States on June 13. Before the US game, the region’s fifth ranked Reggae Girlz eked a 1-0 win over Nigeria on June 10th.
Jamaica’s team is expected to come from: Sydney Schneider (Washington Spirit), Chantelle Swaby (Glasgow Rangers FC), Jade Bailey (Liverpool FC), Vyan Sampson (Charlton Athletic), Konya Plummer (Orlando Pride; on loan to AIK Stockholm), Chinyelu Asher (Washington Spirit), Kayla McCoy (Glasgow Rangers FC), Atlanta Primus (London City Lionesses), Khadija Shaw (Manchester City FC), Sashana Campbell (Unattached), Rebecca Spencer (Tottenham Hotspurs FC), Allyson Swaby (AS Roma), Tiernny Wiltshire (KUPS), Drew Spence (Chelsea FC), Cheyna Matthews (Louisville FC), Marlo Sweatman (Haladas FC), Satara Murray (Bristol City FC), Yazmeen Jamieson (P18 IK), Olufolasade Adamolekun (University of South California), Trudi Carter (FC Gintra), Kalyssa Van Zanten (University of Notre Dame) and Paige Bailey-Gayle (Leicester City FC).
