Reggae Girlz plans for 2027 on in earnest – Ricketts
Published:Thursday | September 25, 2025 | 12:07 AM
AS JAMAICA’S Reggae Girlz look ahead to the first round of Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, they will be hoping that their coaching situation will be settled and that their squad will be replenished for an ideal blend of youth and experience.
First-team players including Captain Kadijah Shaw, Konya Plummer, Tiffany Cameron, Allyson Swaby, Deneisha Blackwood, Drew Spence, and Rebecca Spencer are either already in their 30s or will be by the time the FIFA World Cup rolls around in 2027.
These players formed the backbone of the team that became the first English-speaking Caribbean country to make it to the global showpiece in France in 2019 and bettered that performance in 2023 when they made it to the round of 16 in Australia.
The Jamaicans will begin the hunt for another unprecedented appearance at a FIFA World Cup when they contest the first round of Concacaf qualifiers, which starts in November.
Speaking with The Gleaner at a handover ceremony of football essentials from the Embassy of Belgium to the Jamaica Football Federation for the Reggae Girlz, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts confirmed that Hubert Busby’s contract is close to its expiration date.
It is not the first time that there has been a focus on the coaching situation as Hue Menzies terminated his association with the JFF after taking the team to its first FIFA showpiece.
The JFF then appointed Vin Blaine to the post, but his appointment was short-lived following a falling out with some of the players.
And it was Menzies’ 2019 assistant, coach Lorne Donaldson, who took the Reggae Girlz to their second world tournament, but that ended on a sour note when the JFF terminated the contract of the outspoken former national footballer.
“I mean his (Busby) contract expires at the end of the year (2025), so, of course, he will be the coach until then. After his contract expires, we will look at his performance, and then the board will make a determination if we continue. But as we speak, he is the coach, and he is putting his staff together. We were in discussions just this morning and, hopefully, we will be at the World Cup in 2027.”
EYEING OVERSEAS PLAYERS
As it relates to replenishing the squad, the JFF President told The Gleaner that the coaching staff is eyeing a number of overseas-based players.
“We have scores of players in college and playing professionally who are actually interested in playing for us, so the coach is active in the marketplace right now, and we are hopeful that we will get some good-quality players.”
Ricketts also told The Gleaner that he work has started to ensure that more players also come through the Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL) for national selection.
The JWPL, which has struggled over the years with lack of sponsorship and professionalism, received a much-needed boost this year with the establishment of the Professional Women’s Football Jamaica Limited (PWFJL).
“This is the first year of a reorganised JWPL. We now have a committee that mirrors that of the male version, which is led by Christina Hudson, and they, I think, for the first year, did a very good job. In fact, we are very appreciative of the work they did for the first year of doing what Chris Williams and others have done for the men’s version.”