Bermuda match unlocks Boyz’ potential
Published:Monday | October 20, 2025 | 12:10 AMAudley Boyd/News Editor -
Another shuffle of the pack, against Bermuda, trumped up some refreshing signs for the senior men’s national football team. For the first in a long time the Reggae Boyz, for huge slices of a match, appeared coordinated, looking like they were actually trying to string some passes and play football, and they delivered a performance that was pleasing on the eyes.
Frontline players Kaheim Dixon, Shamar Nicholson and Renaldo Cephas constantly exhibited a level of link-up play, understanding and skill that’s long been missing from the Reggae Boyz. Then Dujuan Richards, unavailable through injury for over a year, iced the cake with another level of skill, excitement, and a goal.
Five changes were made to Jamaica’s starting 11 for the October 14 football match Jamaica won 4-0 against Bermuda. Four days earlier in a 2-0 loss at Curaçao, head coach Steve McClaren had made six changes to the starting 11 that had won the previous game, 2-0 against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium.
McClaren’s team tinkering has been a feature since taking on Reggae Boyz duties on July 31 last year. A pattern of play with little midfield involvement, many long balls and not much creativity has also become customary. Plus a constant stream of recruits untested on the international stage, with Jamaican allegiance from England.
The latter has been the modus operandi for Jamaica’s senior men’s football attempts at World Cup Qualification since 1998, the only time they were successful. Trial after trial continues amid failure upon failure.
QUALITY PLAYERS
In the grand search for quality players to improve the team’s chances and its cohesion, talent born and bred on these shores continues to be largely ignored, but, as expected, for some of whom earned contracts with foreign clubs because of their standard.
For those who play in Jamaica, there is little hope. The coach of the country’s flagship football team is not based in the country. He is not here going around and watching football matches in search of talent.
Luckily, McClaren has a penchant for national team reshuffling. And he has cared to look at the local-based players he’s been handed. So, as a consequence of regular player shuffling, there was bound to emerge a favourable hand, one representing true Jamaican quality, if for only one area of the team, its frontline.
True Jamaican quality reigned big and broad within the only Jamaica team to have ever advanced to a World Cup Final – 1998 in France. That complement stood at 90-odd per cent Jamaica-born and bred players.
It’s a feature of national teams across the world, high per cent composition of each country’s born and bred personnel. There’s reason for this. Representing one’s country is more than talent.
On the night of Tuesday, October 14, that Jamaican character, personality and flair was heart-warmingly restored, largely due to the performance of the aforementioned attacking quartet. The Reggae Boyz showed far greater capabilities, with players skilful to dribble an opponent(s), to create space and opportunities. And, just as well, they run hard and tackle.
More skill in a team generally transcends into additional space and opportunity for others. Cephas has potential to be dangerous all the time. His influence and ability to shape a match, on a sustained level, expanded because the Jamaica team had more skill upfront, more players to which a defensive team had to pay attention. Consequently, it allowed more space to isolate and exploit his speed down the flanks, resulting in the first two goals.
Nicholson did what he does best, score goals. That most important football quality has been largely ignored, quite foolishly, as the striker netted his 20th goal for the country, against Bermuda, in 57 matches. Goals come when respect is shown for that art, that special quality.
The midfield was woeful against Curaçao, providing very little balance, support and creativity. Kasey Palmer and Isaac Hayden, who have been among the most stable selections, provided a link that facilitated play right through the team, Palmer adding another layer of skill.
Mount Pleasant’s Jahshaun Anglin showed more than all the midfielders combined in limited minutes at Curaçao, but was not included in the squad for the following match, reflecting the decades-long selection biases against local talent.
Of course, recent gains in team play all came against Bermuda, badly lacking in talent and lowly ranked – 165th among FIFA’s 211 countries. Performing at a high standard against this competition is anticipated by any Jamaica team.
The Reggae Boyz need to play well all the time. And the best players must be picked all the time.
The country has never had an easier passage, in decades, probably forever, to the World Cup. The competition now has 48 teams, 16 more than the last version. Generally, final round playoffs secure three automatic berths for Concacaf nations, plus a gateway for one through FIFA’s continental playoffs. The latter shores up two continental playoff berths. But the automatic Concacaf spots – counting the three hosts – now number six.
NO TIME TO GLOAT
There is no time to gloat over the Bermuda win. Even though an easy match will come, World Cup Qualifying is hard work and the challenge will become harder against Trinidad and Tobago, in Trinidad on November 13, and at the National Stadium against Curaçao on November 18.
Those teams have shown that they can beat Jamaica.
In the Reggae Boyz’s 2-0 victory here, Trinidad and Tobago had a very marginal goal overturned for offside, after a lengthy VAR exercise; and Jamaica had a goal confirmed, by a VAR check for offside.
The Trinbagonians had two other goals chalked off, which were clearly offside.
Those decisions, if anything, reflect their competitiveness, and threat.
The Reggae Boyz lead Group B – one of three – with nine points, followed by Curaçao, eight, and Trinidad and Tobago five. All the teams have played four of six matches.
Defeating Curaçao in Jamaica makes World Cup automatic qualification a certainty.
That would guarantee 12 points. At the same time such a defeat would limit the Dutch-speaking nation to 11 points. Trinidad and Tobago, even with victory in their remaining matches, can only max out at 11.
The Reggae Boyz defence requires much tightening, right through the pitch meaning from the front and midfield, to make the job easier at the backline. There remain deficiencies in midfield and full back, and there are options for greater creativity, cohesion and better ball movement, at speed.
Vice-captain Damion Lowe, with leadership qualities and passion, watched from the bench last outing. And there are attacking options to improve the team, with Demarai Gray, and Leon Bailey, who returned from injury for his Roma/Serie A debut in Saturday’s 1-0 loss against Inter Milan.
A relatively untried combination of Jamaica born and bred frontline quartet served a timely reminder of the worth quality scorned for decades can bring to the Reggae Boyz team.
The level of McClaren’s tinkering could yet prove how much he values this input, and the team’s continued improvement with a brand of football that enhances its ability to win, and qualification to the World Cup.