Price: CAC Games will serve as good preparation

Andrew Price, assistant coach of Jamaica's senior women's football team, says that the upcoming Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games will be good preparation for the World Cup qualifiers.

Jamaica will participate in the football competition at the CAC Games scheduled from July 19 - August 3 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Eight nations are divided into two groups. Jamaica will play in Group A alongside Costa Rica, defending champions Mexico, and Venezuela.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

"It would be good to send the senior team to the CAC Games in order to continue preparation for the World Cup qualifiers. That would be good match practice and to get the team to gel," Price told The Gleaner, yesterday.

"We will be playing against some top football nations, which would prepare us for the Caribbean final stage of the World Cup qualifications in August. We are working to have our overseas-based players available for the CAC Games because there are no age restrictions," he said.

Preparation camps

Price also said that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) would be looking at plans to have two camps here in preparation for the Caribbean final phase of World Cup qualification.

"We are looking at some camps, with the full complement of players in Jamaica, and have asked the JFF to have at least two camps before the Caribbean final round," he added.

The Caribbean stage will comprise five teams, including Jamaica, Cuba, and three other, countries in a round-robin format from August 25-September 2 at a venue to be decided. The top three teams will advance to the CONCACAF stage of World Cup qualification.

"We are confident of making it to the CONCACAF stage, to be held in the United States, where the top three will make it to the 2019 World Cup, while the fourth-place team will enter a playoff for another spot," Price said about Jamaica's chance of a historic qualification.