Tappa on borrowed time
Published:Thursday | October 7, 2021 | 12:11 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
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Under pressure to save his job, senior national men’s football team head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore has been warned by his employers that he must secure a minimum of five points from the Reggae Boyz’s three games in the FIFA World Cup...
Under pressure to save his job, senior national men’s football team head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore has been warned by his employers that he must secure a minimum of five points from the Reggae Boyz’s three games in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers over the next week to keep his job.
The Gleaner has been reliably informed that Whitmore has been told in a recent meeting by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) hierarchy that he would be fired if the Reggae Boyz lose their encounter away to the United States in Austin, Texas, this evening or even draw their next game at home against Canada on Sunday. The Reggae Boyz will round out their three-match schedule when they face Honduras in San Pedro Sula on October 13.
When asked by The Gleaner about his job security during the pre-game press conference yesterday, Whitmore was evasive about the issue.
LOOKING FORWARD TO GAMES
“As I can say, I am the coach and we have a game tomorrow (today), and we are looking forward to the one on Sunday against Canada and then Honduras,” he said.
Jamaica have not won in their last five matches and have not kept a clean sheet in six.
In the first set of qualifiers in September, Jamaica lost 2-1 to Mexico in Mexico City. They were then beaten 3-0 by Panama at the National Stadium before drawing 1-1 with Costa Rica in San José.
Mexico lead the standings with seven points, with 11 games remaining in the tournament. They are followed by the United States, Canada, and Panama with five points apiece, while Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador have two points each.
Whitmore said that today’s encounter against the Americans is crucial for the Reggae Boyz if they are going to move in the points standings.
“Every game we play, World Cup Qualifier, friendly is a must-win,” he said. “It is the story of my life, but again, we have played three games, and results haven’t been the way we want them. But despite injuries and players out, we are looking forward to a positive performance from the guys tomorrow (today).”
The Reggae Boyz will be without West Ham United striker Michail Antonio, who made himself unavailable for all three matches. Midfielders Leon Bailey and Daniel Johnson, forward Cory Burke and defender Liam Moore are also unavailable due to injury.
Today’s game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Jamaica time.