Young Reggae Boyz eye Haiti friendlies

President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Michael Ricketts, says the organisation has been working to ensure that the country’s Under-17 team is fully prepared for this year’s World Cup.

The Young Reggae Boyz have been drawn in Group E alongside Italy, Ivory Coast and Uzbekistan for the tournament in Qatar in November.

Jamaica will be making their third appearance at an Under-17 World Cup after topping their group in the Concacaf qualifying tournament in Alajuela, Costa Rica, in February.

Ricketts said preparations have been progressing well, but the federation is keen to secure more international friendly matches ahead of the tournament.

“I think that the preparations have been okay, but it is just that we want to get in some overseas games. Haiti would be ideal and we are working on that,” said Ricketts.

“What we are trying to do is to incorporate some of the youngsters who will be eligible for next year’s qualification.”

“So we have a few of those who are actually training with the present crop, and we are hoping that they will be able to make the transition and help us when the qualifiers start in 2027. Because everybody knows by now that the Under-17 World Cup will be every year, and for the next four years all these tournaments will be in Qatar. So we head down to Qatar in the middle of November,” he added.

Despite being drawn in a difficult group, Ricketts remains optimistic that the team can be competitive.

“We are hoping that we will be competitive, and I know that it will be tough because we will be playing against top teams from all over the world, but the preparations I think are pretty decent and we are hoping that we will be able to make an impact,” he said.

Ricketts also outlined the team’s camp schedule and the federation’s efforts to arrange friendly matches.

“We had a camp two weeks ago and we have another one next week, and we have had a camp every month for the last three or four months. We are trying to host Haiti in a two-game friendly, but the other dates clashed with the weekend when we host our two Nations League games, and so that has been pushed back,” Ricketts said.

“We are trying to get some games in New York, so Freddie Butler and Carlton Simmonds are working on those and they have been doing an excellent job. And, of course, we do have camps here as often as possible,” he said.