Veteran Girlz pleased with team’s progress
Published:Wednesday | February 26, 2025 | 12:13 AM
VETERAN REGGAE Girlz Tiffany Cameron and Kayla McKenna are pleased with the progress of the national programme over the years as the team eyes a third consecutive qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Speaking in an interview with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) recently, the two players expressed their commitment to the national team and the progress they have seen first-hand.
Cameron, the Canadian-born forward with Jamaican heritage, made the switch from Les Rouges to the Reggae Girlz in 2019 and was a key member of the 2019 and 2023 World Cup squads.
At the age of 33, the veteran forward said it is an honour each time she is called up to the national team.
She is hoping to play a role in the team’s quest for a third World Cup appearance.
“It’s always an honour every time I’m called up. We’re working towards the next World Cup cycle in 2027, so that would be great,” she said.
“There is a lot of competition now in our squad, so I never take it for granted and I’m always really excited to come back.”
McKenna, like Cameron, also made her debut in 2019 but had unfortunately missed out on the World Cup due to injury.
She was, however, named in Lorne Donaldson’s 2023 squad and made her World Cup debut in the Reggae Girlz 1-0 win against Panama.
McKenna said she has been pleased with the programme’s continuing bid to increase its depth.
“I think it’s really cool to see the pool of players growing and the interest. People want to play for Jamaica if they can, and the people that are Jamaicans that maybe weren’t born and raised there, now have this desire to represent Jamaica, which I think is a really cool thing,” she said.
For McKenna, the success of her teammates and her predecessors has built a strong reputation for the team which has attracted global attention.
“I think us and the players that came before us have built a brand and have built a reputation that the world wants to be a part of now, whether it is to support us or to play,” the forward explained.
“I think it is really cool to be a part of women’s sports in general, but especially being a part of the Jamaican national team.”
Cameron also said, in her role as one of the team’s more experienced players, she is aiming to leave the programme in a better space than when she had first arrived.
She hopes to help the next generation of Reggae Girlz before calling time on her storied career.
“I would say I’m motivated by helping the younger generation and setting the tone for them. There are a lot of things as women that we go through throughout our careers and it’s about setting the standards,” she said.
“So when we hang up our boots, it’s about creating an environment for them that’s a comforting one where they don’t have to struggle like how we used to.”