Under-20 Boyz very confident ahead of Concacaf Championship
Published:Tuesday | June 14, 2022 | 12:11 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
Jamaica’s Young Reggae Boyz, having seen failure upon failure after qualification back in 2001, are determined to make a difference when the 2023 Under-20 World Cup takes centre stage, and this time around, the dream isn’t just a pie in the sky.
The Marcel Gayle-coached team is drawn in Group H for the upcoming Concacaf Under-20 Championship alongside hosts Honduras, Costa Rica, and Caribbean neighbours Antigua and Barbuda, with action set to kick off later this month.
The under-20 team will get their campaign going on June 18 when they play Costa Rica, followed by games against Honduras on June 20 and Antigua and Barbuda on June 22.
Following those fixtures, the top three teams from each group will advance to the round-of-16 stage of the competition.
Captain of the under-20 team, Christopher Pearson, told The Gleaner that the transition from playing high school football for Kingston College to playing in the Jamaica Premier League has given him maturity and experience and that he loves how this crop of players have been jelling.
“The cohesion in this group is high. I didn’t think that new people could come and jell and create chemistry as fast as we are doing right now. We are confident that we have enough to compete and qualify,” said Pearson.
Pearson also added that the team is focusing on giving Jamaica their second appearance at the Under-20 World Cup.
“The main focus is just to represent, compete, and get ourselves qualified. If our names should be written, it will be written.”
Teammate Tarick Ximines, who is the only member of the team to have represented the senior Reggae Boyz, also spoke confidently of the team’s chances heading into qualification. Like Pearson, Ximines also marvelled at the way the unit is coming together.
“We’ve been jelling well, not just on the field, but off the field also,” he said.
When asked if he feels some level of pressure, having been on the fringes of the national senior side, Ximines said: “I can’t feel pressured because coach (Paul Hall) knows what I can do. It’s just us youngsters to show him what we can do, and remember, in most of his interviews he said if a player is performing, there will be chances.”
Only the top four teams from the region will qualify for the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia.