Jamaica’s Women’s World Cup ends, but their fight for support continues

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The run of Jamaica’s Women’s World Cup team has come to a conclusion, but their ongoing struggle for support in their home country persists.

15 years ago, the Reggae Girlz faced dissolution when the Jamaican federation severed the team’s funding. Reformed in 2014, they have battled for resources since that time.

Their performance at the international tournament held in Australia and New Zealand might be a turning point. In only their second appearance, the Reggae Girlz made history by becoming the first Caribbean team to advance to the knockout stage.

Their campaign concluded on Tuesday night with a 1-0 loss to Colombia in Melbourne, with Catalina Usme’s goal being the single one they allowed throughout the tournament.

Goalkeeper Becky Spencer expressed optimism, stating, “We’ve proven our potential, and it reveals what kind of team we could become with more resources. I hope the federation begins to recognize our seriousness and pays heed to our progress.”

Cedella Marley, Bob Marley’s daughter, has been involved with the team since 2014 as their ambassador and fundraiser, with the Bob Marley foundation as a sponsor. However, the team’s preparation for the World Cup remained a struggle, even after qualifying the previous year.

Players Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and Cheyna Matthews took to social media to voice their concerns over multiple issues, including planning, transportation, accommodation, training conditions, and compensation. This led to crowdfunding campaigns for pre-tournament camp and staff expenses.

Although the Jamaican Football Federation expressed regret that these efforts distracted from the team’s historic success, they also welcomed the financial support.

Cheyna Matthews reflected on the team’s potential, emphasizing that they could accomplish much more with adequate preparation and competition. Coach Lorne Donaldson expressed hope that the stakeholders would unite for future progress, especially since the team had talented young players.

Following the World Cup loss, the Reggae Girlz have little time to regather as they face Canada in Toronto next month for the second CONCACAF spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics. The U.S. has already secured the other position. Canada, being knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage, presents a great challenge.

Chantelle Swaby of Jamaica anticipates that the match will be an exciting contest, saying, “I think we still have momentum even though we lost. And with Canada’s result, it will be a tough match as they’ll be eager to win. We’ll be equally eager to compete.”

For more coverage on the Women’s World Cup, visit: https://bigbignews.net/fifa-womens-world-cup.

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• FIFA Women’s World Cup Official Site
• Jamaican Football Federation
• Bob Marley Foundation