Chantelle Swaby’s big night

Reggae Girl defender Chantelle Swaby is set to create history as she closes in on her 50th appearance and is expected to achieve the milestone today in Jamaica’s Concacaf W Qualifying fixture against Antigua and Barbuda at the National Stadium.

Swaby made her debut for the national team in 2018 while still attending Rutgers University and has been a mainstay for the Reggae Girlz since.

She competed in the historic 2018 Concacaf W Championship, alongside her sister Allyson Swaby, as Jamaica qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in the island’s history.

She played all three games at the 2019 World Cup, along with all the games at the 2023 World Cup where Jamaica made it to the Round of 16.

The highlight of her international career came at the 2023 World Cup, where she and her sister formed a defensive partnership that did not concede a goal for 321 minutes, and only conceded once across four games.

Swaby said she was unaware of the milestone and is excited to make her 50th appearance in front of her home fans.

“I actually didn’t know that I was at 50 caps, so thank you for letting me know that. But yeah, definitely feeling really excited for the game. Like coach said, it’s really exciting to be back here, back home in front of the fans, and have a really good group of girls here,” Swaby said.

Now in her eighth year as a Reggae Girl, Swaby said she has matured since her early days as a university athlete.

She now stands as one of the leaders in the squad, and is ready to impart her experience on to the younger players.

Where she once blended into the crowd, Swaby now stands as one of the defensive stalwarts for the national team.

“I think coming from my first camp, being in college still, it’s definitely just growth as an individual and being able to kind of step up into a more of a leadership role now,” Swaby explained.

“I think back in France, I was very timid, very shy. I’m just trying to kind of submerge myself in the environment and just kind of be there,” the defender continued.

“I feel like now as an older player, an older person, I’m able to kind of have a more impact than I probably did a couple of years ago. I’m really proud of how far I’ve come along and the journey that I’ve had here in Jamaica.”

Swaby and the Reggae Girlz will close out Group B action of the Concacaf W Qualifiers with back-to-back home games against Antigua and Barbuda today, and Guyana on April 18.

Should they top the group, they will advance to the Concacaf W Championship which serves as the qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com