Blaine eager for new Girlz challenge
Published:Friday | December 10, 2021 | 12:15 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
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FORMER national senior women’s football team head coach Vin Blaine returns to the national set-up and will take charge of the Reggae Girlz’s FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification campaign. Blaine, who coached the team for over a decade, confirmed...
FORMER national senior women’s football team head coach Vin Blaine returns to the national set-up and will take charge of the Reggae Girlz’s FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification campaign.
Blaine, who coached the team for over a decade, confirmed his appointment with The Gleaner yesterday.
He said that he had been in discussions with the Jamaica Football Federation for some time about taking over the post from Hubert Busby Jr.
Busby was suspended from the position after allegations of sexual misconduct came to light but would have seen his contract come to an end this month, regardless.
After resigning as director of football for the US Virgin Islands (USVI) earlier this week, Blaine put pen to paper yesterday.
“It started out with me just talking with the general secretary, who had an interest in me returning,” Blaine said.
“We had a conversation and he asked if I was interested. I told him I would think about it, and the conversation continued from there.
“We discussed the terms and agreed and I signed the contract today (Thursday).”
Although he enjoyed his time working overseas and says he gained valuable experience, Blaine admitted that the prospect of qualifying the Reggae Girlz for a World Cup was too tempting.
“I stepped away to get some more experience from outside [USVI and Grenada], but taking over the Reggae Girlz is something I am really looking forward to.
“I am very motivated. I have seen the team and the players and I think they have a strong team that can make it to the World Cup, and to coach a team to the World Cup is every coach’s dream.”
The Reggae Girlz will open their Concacaf World Cup qualification next February, and his first priority is to win the group and try to secure a favourable placing in the final round.
“We have to win our group and go for a good draw because one of the [final round] groups will have two top teams in it,” he said.
“When we win the group, we will know exactly what to do next. We will know who we will face in the next around, which is the real qualifier, but I would like to get a group with only one seeded team in it.”
“We have two (first-round qualifying) games in February and two in April, and that is where my concentration is now.
“We have a team that can qualify, but that will be determined by me. I come with confidence and I want to let it spill over on the girls. We just need to put things in place so that the girls are comfortable.”