Reggae Girlz Looking to Maintain Winning Momentum

The National Senior Women’s Football Team, Reggae Girlz, are looking to keep the winning momentum going as they prepare to face Guyana in their next fixture on Saturday (April 18) at 7:00 p.m. at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Head Coach, Hubert Busby said the team has been showing encouraging signs in training following their dominant outing against Antigua and Barbuda on April 10, with a 4-0 win.

“The training sessions have been good, lively, very competitive, which has been great to see. The players have had a chance to take a little bit of time off and recharge. I think that’s done them wonders because… the focus has been good,” he said.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Friday (April 17), Coach Busby also highlighted the impact of playing on home soil, noting the strong support from local fans.

“The players love it. We all love coming home to play in front of our people and play in front of the fans. By the way, the fans were absolutely fantastic. We felt that 12-person extra wave that gave the energy. I can’t credit enough the people who came out, and hopefully that happens again,” he added.

The team has also benefited from extended preparation time, allowing for tactical adjustments and improved cohesion.

“We’ve had some time in there to work on some of our match plans, implement some of the things as it pertains to our playing model, which has been good,” Coach Busby explained.

He added that team chemistry continues to strengthen both on and off the field.

“This group gets along extremely well. There’s a sisterhood there that connects and binds and so that connectivity on the pitch, off the pitch, transforms what happens on the pitch,” he said.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s encounter, Coach Busby said the team is expecting a competitive game from Guyana.

“Guyana is a strong, organised team… they’ll come here looking to impose their will on us as well. For us, it’s really about ensuring that we stick to our tactical plan,” he noted.

Player, Deneisha Blackwood, said that the focus remains on execution and maintaining high standards.

“Our standard is to go out there and win and score as many goals as we should, and everything else will just fall into place. So, it’s just about us showing up as ourselves and doing what we need to do,” she said.

She noted the importance of setting the tone early in the match.

“I think going into this final one as players and as a senior players, it is just making sure we’re setting the standard even from the warm-up… make them fear us from then,” the player shared.

The Reggae Girlz will be aiming to secure maximum points as they continue their 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifying journey, with players eager to deliver a strong performance for their home supporters.

“For me, personally… I’m going to go out there and do what I can to make those people feel good about just coming here and supporting us,” Ms. Blackwood said.

“For me, playing for Jamaica is bigger than myself. Every time I represent, I always try to go there and give something that I know is going to be bigger than me,” she added.