Reggae Boyz Rekindle Gold Cup Spirit

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz showed fight and grit when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a must win game against Nicaragua to continue their football journey to the World Cup in Russia in 2018.

It was a do or die situation and the Reggae Boyz made sure they did not go home empty handed.

Their win in the second-leg home-and-away tie 2-0 and 4-3 on aggregate against Nicaragua inside the National Football Stadium yesterday has kept them in charge of their goal.

Head coach of Jamaica’s national senior football team Winfried Schaefer had earlier warned the Reggae Boyz that they must believe in themselves and return to their core values in order to bounce back from the demoralizing 3-2 loss they experienced a week ago from the Nicaraguan team.

“I told them that that game was the past and that we can win (second leg), and that I’m sure we can win, but all players have to do the same that we did in the Gold Cup — play together and fight for each other. Discipline in the field, good pressing together, and when I work for my partner, my partner works for me,” Schaefer reportedly told the press.

The Jamaican lads certainly heeded their coach’s call to show their mettle in netting a 2-nil win in the game against their Nicaraguan opponent.

It was Darren Mattocks who gave the Reggae Boyz the lead in the 13th minute and in the nick of time substitute Simon Dawkins made the break in the 89th minute to slam home a volley to give his team victory and silence the crowd.

The Reggae Boyz have now advanced to the Fourth Round of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying phase where they will join Group B which includes seeded teams Costa Rica, and Panama as well as the winner of another Third Round tie including Haiti and Grenada. Haiti lead the tie 3-1 after the first leg in Grenada.