Will Women's Football in Jamaica Expecting Brighter Day

Jamaican women's football is proud to have Cedella Marley as the ambassador of the Reggae Girlz. Marley has teamed with Lavern Deer, the founder of Jamaica International Female Football Development (JIFFD) to promote the team and sport. Cedella is the daughter of the famous reggae musician, Bob Marley. Deer points out the potential influence that Marley's name alone will provide as she'll be able to capture the attention of donors in order to advance the Girlz as well as the Jamaican Football Federation.

Jamaica soccer women have endured a continual struggle due to insufficient support both in terms of financing, training opportunities and things like poor nutrition and inferior training equipment. It is hoped that the addition of Marley will shed some light on the sport's uphill battle and result in the money and support that is necessary to properly fund the Reggae Girlz. The goal is to recruit long term supporters that will help the program flourish for decades into the future. If the team is provided with the proper training development and financial support, it will eventually be able to seriously compete with the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Deer has spent years researching how to run a successful program. One of her specific goals is to recruit corporate support so that the Reggae Girlz receive the financial backing that is necessary to achieve long term success. Deer admits that the short term goal is to get the senior level team to the World Cup competition. She thinks that the addition of Marley and her associates will allow the squad to tap into vital resources.
The team's participation in the highly successful U-17 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in Montego Bay last year goes to show that the sport is economically viable and there is significant public interest that will only grow in the future.

Specifically, Marley will work with Deer to determine what the Girlz' most pressing needs are in terms of training, nutrition and travel expenses. They'll collaborate to develop a plan of action and implement it to the best of their abilities. They've both agreed that international camps and exhibition matches are two key steppingstones to raising the sport's profile and capturing much needed media attention.

Deer likes to point out that FIFA is pressing for the growth and further development of female football around the globe. She hopes that this massive effort will provide the catalyst that spurs big time investors to lend a helping hand. The recent addition of the senior level Girlz squad is definitely a shot in the arm for women's football. The team had to suspend operations for 4 straight seasons due to poor funding. Now that the senior team is back and Marley is on board with the cause, the profile of women's football will only rise higher from here on out.

Voice readers split over Usain Bolt’s football dream

So the fastest man in the world wants to, excuse the pun, bolt from his sport to play in the world's pre-eminent football tournament, the World Cup.

Sounds insane? Don't blink an eye and hold the phone.

Usain Bolt said he wanted to play for Manchester United after taking the podium in 2012 with gold medals dangling around his neck. And now, a Jamaican newspaper reports, Jamaican Football Federation team coach Winfried Schafer is clamoring for Bolt to be part of the Jamaican soccer men's 2018 World Cup team.
The Voice asked its readers if they think the 27-year-old Jamaican should trade his track shoes for football cleats.

Well my motto is "Anything is possible I don't think limits: http://t.co/NUfsqmZIyq
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) March 2, 2014

More than 60 percent of respondents said Bolt should keep working at being faster than the speed of light and stay in track and field. Of those who answered the poll, 41 percent said Bolt should not attempt to switch sports. Another 20 percent were adamant and said Bolt should not play football for Jamaica.
When asked what Bolt should do, 39 percent said the Olympic gold-medal winner should play for the Reggae Boyz.

The 2018 World Cup is far off, and the 2014 World Cup champion still needs to be crowned later this year. What Bolt does is anyone's guess but if a recent picture is any indication, expect to see him racing up the pitch in 2018.
Bolt sent the Jamaican Star a Photoshopped image of himself wearing a Jamaican Football Federation uniform with the caption: "Anything's Possible."
The question that needs to be answered is if the sprinter is actually good enough to compete at the level that World Cup footballers compete at? As an athlete who strives to be the best in his field, and Bolt certainly is that, will he be happy if his football skills are less than his opponents?

Bolt has said that he is an accomplished player and at 6-foot, 5-inches he has the build to be a threat on the pitch. And Schafer cannot wait to get Bolt into training camp.
"We can make him better," Schafer told the Jamaican newspaper, The Gleaner. "When he has good training with our team here in Jamaica, we can make him a very good player. He's very fast, that's clear, but when he learns with the ball then he'll be one of the best players."
But even before thinking about playing with the Jamaican soccer men at the 2018 World Cup, Bolt has the 2016 Olympics to consider.

"Maybe after the Olympics in Brazil (2016), I want to see him in our team," Schafer said. "That is what I want to tell him. I hope he wants to play for his country."

The History of Jamaican Soccer Federation

The available records indicate that soccer was introduced in Jamaica in the late 19th Century. At this time Jamaica formed its first team.
The Jamaica soccer federation was founded in 1910. By then it was known as Jamaican Football Association but later in 1965 it changed its name to Jamaican Football Federation (JFF). It is the body that governs football in Jamaica, it also organises the Jamaican National Premier League and both the women’s and the men’s national teams also known as ‘The Reggae Boyz’. The JFF joined Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in the year 1962.

By the year 1962 Jamaica had already gained independence and hap played many regular games its neighbouring countries such as, Cube, Haiti, Tobago and Trinidad and even the Caribbean All Stars team. Jamaica soccer Federation recorded a major success in the year 1998 when the Jamaica’s men’s national team qualified for the 1998 FIFA World cup in France. However, the men’s team did not proceed to the second round of matches but managed to win a match against Japan which was their final group match. The Jamaican men national team have also won the Caribbean cup five times. This success might appear small to some people but for a small country like Jamaica this is a great success for its football federation.

However, Jamaica’s national men team appeared on an international tournament was in the year 1925 playing against their Caribbean neighbours Haiti. The tournament had a series of three matches which Jamaican team won. Haiti nation team became their frequent opponent until 1932 when Haiti won 4-1 against Jamaica.


Jamaican men football team under the management of a Brazilian coach by the name Jorge Penna made its first ever attempt at the world cup qualifying matches in 1965. The Jamaica Football Federation has in the past organized international friendly matches for the National men’s team as well as for the women national team. Despite all this success, in the year 1973 Jamaica’s national team for men was eliminated from the tournament lead to the dismissal of some members of the team. This was one of the major drawbacks of the Jamaican Football Federation