TIME RUNNING OUT

Veteran sports administrator Elaine Walker-Brown and former national women’s coach Charles Edwards have both expressed deep concern that with just over a month to go before the start of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is yet to appoint a head coach of the Reggae Girlz team.

The 51st-ranked Reggae Girlz are drawn in Group A alongside World champions United States, hosts Mexico and Caribbean neighbours Haiti for the July 4-18 Concacaf Women’s Championship in Monterrey.

The Reggae Girlz have been without a coach since veteran Vin Blaine resigned from the post on May 17. Blaine’s job came under scrutiny after 20 members of the squad signed a letter to JFF’s president Michael Ricketts demanding that he be replaced because of concerns regarding coaching, communication and organisation.

Englishman Jonathan Morgan was tipped to replace Blaine at the helm. However, he has since taken over as the head coach of Burnley’s women’s team in England. Lorne Donaldson is the other coach in line to the job, but he is yet to be appointed by the JFF.

“I am very much concerned because after the technical committee met, Jonathan Morgan was the top choice but now he has got the Burnley job. I was hoping that the second person in that interview would just automatically fall in place,” said Walker-Brown.

“However, I don’t know what is in the president’s mind and I really don’t know what is happening, but it is a cause for concern. You see the group that we are in, there no preparations other than individual workouts and so it is really a cause for concern,” she said.

Walker-Brown pointed out that the JFF hierarchy must act swiftly before it is too late because Jamaica’s Girlz are in a very tough group at the qualifiers.

“I think that immediately after we heard about Morgan taking that job, we should have put the next person in place. What are we going to do? Another interview? No. We need everybody’s hands on deck now,” said Walker-Brown who is a member of the JFF’s technical committee.

Edwards also said the JFF must move swiftly to secure the services of a head coach for the national team so that he or she will be able to put plans and systems in place for the qualifiers.

“I am very concerned about it because I don’t think it augurs well for the team and the programme, but then again we have to think about all the hiccups that they have been going through and personally, I think they could have moved a bit faster,” Edwards said.

“Mexico in Mexico especially is a very tough game to start off with and it is not looking good right now,” he said.

Edwards added that the only real positive just now is that a lot of the Reggae Girlz are plying their trades overseas and some seasons have just ended therefore these players will be in good shape whenever they arrive for the qualifiers.

Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from JFF’s general secretary Dalton Wint proved futile as several calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.