Girlz integrating well in camp

National defender Allyson Swaby is pleased with the integration of new players into the senior women's football team as it prepares for the FIFA Women's World Cup in France this June.

The Reggae Girlz are in a six-day training camp where 12 new players have been invited to train and work their way into the final squad of 23 for the tournament. One of these was held at the National Stadium yesterday in front of the media and sponsors.

Swaby says that she has enjoyed the camp so far and that she is glad that a lot of technical progress has been made.

PROMISING GROUP

"We've been getting a lot of touches, and yesterday we had a full 90 scrimmage, which was good, to get everybody playing for the first time," she said. "I think nerves are out of people's systems by now, so we're just starting to see what everyone is capable of, and I think we have a very promising group based on what we've seen so far."

Captain Konya Plummer agrees with Swaby and says that what is more important is that all players realise that they are aiming for the same goal, which is to bring the national team success.

"First of all, we're all Jamaicans," she said. "New face or old face, we have one job to do: just go out there and play and represent the country to the best of our ability."

One such new face is 17-year-old striker Olufolasade 'Sade' Adamolekun. She could have represented Nigeria, her father's homeland, or the United States, where she was born, but chose Jamaica, where her mother is from.

"This team has a lot of very talented girls," she said, "A lot of girls who know what they're doing, girls who play professionally. Hopefully, I can continue coming to camps and learn more from them and continue to progres."

Adamolekun made her debut for the Reggae Girlz in a 3-0 win in a friendly match with Nottingham Forest Ladies last October. There, she got on the scoresheet twice.