JFF contracts sent out to Boyz - Burrell

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president, Captain Horace Burrell, has disclosed that contracts have been sent out to members of the senior men's national football squad, thus addressing one of the grievances the Reggae Boyz had at the start of the second round of World Cup Qualifying last month.

On the eve of the start of Jamaica's second-round World Cup campaign on Friday, November 13, the country's players had reportedly become restive about unresolved contract issues. An agreement in principle was reached at the eleventh hour and Jamaica played the match, which they lost 0-2 in a lacklustre performance.

Burrell expressed hope that the matter has now been put to rest.

"Contracts have gone out to our players and those contracts are expected to be signed at the soonest, so we certainly hope that the next time around we will not have the kind of problems we faced the last time around," the president said.

"We need funds for taking care of airfare for our players. I recall the general secretary telling me that the last bill, over the last three months, we have spent just over J$30 million on airfares alone for players," Captain Burrell said.

It is estimated that the JFF will need close to J$ 1 billion to finance its World Cup campaign to Russia in 2018. Burrell revealed that the harsh economic time the country has been enduring is largely to blame. Sponsors, he said, have been coming on board, but not in ways that will have a great impact on the funding required for the World Cup campaign.

"There are challenges, and we are trying to deal with the challenges," he said.