JFF lauds Andre Blake initiative

REGGAE BOYZ captain Andre Blake’s football clinic last week was a success and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is impressed.

The clinic, for goalkeepers, was held at the Capain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence over the course of two days last week, under the guidance of Blake, his national teammate, Jahmali Waite, national goalkeeper coach, Andrew Sewell, Philadelphia Union’s goalkeeper coach Phil Wheddon, Reinas Academy’s Neo Oxford, and Kingston College’s Robert Beckford.

There were 24 youth goalkeepers selected from the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup, the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup, and two women’s goalkeepers from Reina’s Academy.

“Andre is an outstanding ambassador for Jamaica and has always represented our nation well. We are pleased with this project and look forward to working with him in the future with more clinics of this nature. This will certainly aid the development of goalkeepers on the island,” said JFF general secretary, Dennis Chung.

Blake, a three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, made his senior debut for the Reggae Boyz in 2014 and will celebrate 10 years as a national player next year.

He has been part of five Concacaf Gold Cup squads for Jamaica, went to one Copa America in 2016, and was a member of the Jamaican team that won the 2014 Caribbean Cup.