Bob Marley’s daughter lauded as ‘fairy godmother’ of Jamaican women’s football team
Published:Monday | August 7, 2023 | 4:27 PM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley is something of a “fairy godmother” for the Jamaica team playing in its second Women's World Cup.
Cedella Marley has been a tireless advocate and fundraiser for the Reggae Girlz and helped rescue the team after it was disbanded in 2008.
Her work has paid off and Jamaica is in the round of 16.
The Reggae Girlz play Colombia on Tuesday night in Melbourne, Australia.
“Her support has been really important to us and she's just the heart of this team,” said Jamaica player Deneisha Blackwood.
“She's just like our fairy godmother. We just appreciate her for everything she has done so far.”
The Reggae Girlz were disbanded after failing to qualify for the 2007 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics.
In 2014, Bob and Rita Marley's eldest daughter was alarmed to learn the Jamaican soccer federation had stopped funding the team.
Marley hoped to help the Reggae Girlz reach the 2015 World Cup, but the team failed to qualify. The Marley name — Bob Marley was a big soccer fan and player — spurred interest in the Reggae Girlz despite the World Cup miss — and the team made the tournament field in 2019.
“The backbone of this team, all along, has been Cedella,” Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson said.
“Without her, and I can honestly this, because when the programme was under, there was no football for the women. She was the one who pushed the start button and said, 'We need to go.'”
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