JFF expecting loss from Saudi friendlies

General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Dalton Wint is expecting the association to suffer a major financial loss from the Reggae Boyz’s two-match friendly international away to Saudi Arabia last month.

The Reggae Boyz lost the opening match 3-0 before coming from behind to beat their hosts 2-1 in the return game a few days later. Both games were played at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

Wint told The Gleaner yesterday that the losses could run in the millions, but he was unable to confirm the actual sum, because according to him, the association’s financial department was still crunching the numbers.

“You make your profit when you have home games. We had two away games, and so we had to go overseas,” said Wint. “However, we have not yet finished compiling the budget, but I don’t think it will come out as a profit.”

“It is a profit in terms of the exposure and experience, but monetary, no,” Wint added.

The administrator noted the financial challenges experienced whenever the team is required to travel overseas to play international matches, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been reaping havoc across the world, would have created additional costs and issues for the JFF.

“These games are hardly profitable based on what you are getting and what you are paying out,” Wint said. When you travel, you have to pay the players and so you have all of these expenses, and so yes it will be a loss for us,” Wint said.

The matches were the first for the Reggae Boyz since March of this year, and while he is not expecting the federation to come out on the positive side of the balance sheet when the calculations are completed, Wint underscored that the experience and exposure gained by the players was quite valuable.

“It is always good to get these games, and you can’t get the games just thinking of making money. You have to get the games to give exposure to your players,” Wint said. “However, we would love to break even or walk away with some money, but sometimes it is not possible for us,” Wint added.