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‘We worked super hard’

U20 Girlz captain Jaileah McPherson proud of team’s achievement

Published:Tuesday | December 24, 2024 | 12:07 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
Members of the Under-20 Reggae Girlz team who defeated Dominica 7-0 at the Jewels of the Caribbean U20 Women’s Tournament in Trinidad and Tobago on December 17. At left (front row) is captain Jaileah McPherson.
Courtesy of @jff_football
Members of the Under-20 Reggae Girlz team who defeated Dominica 7-0 at the Jewels of the Caribbean U20 Women’s Tournament in Trinidad and Tobago on December 17. At left (front row) is captain Jaileah McPherson.

Having led her team to the 2024 Jewels of the Caribbean title last Friday, under-20 Reggae Girlz captain Jaileah McPherson was beaming with pride for her team’s achievement after the competition’s award ceremony.

Jamaica claimed the title after defeating Trinidad and Tobago Red Angels 2-1 in a tightly contested final at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Trinidad.

A constant figure of leadership in the squad, McPherson featured in all of Jamaica’s fixtures in the tournament where the Girlz recorded four wins and a draw on route to the lifting the title.

She explained their success came from their hard work on the training ground as well as their team cohesion on the pitch.

“I’m just so proud of the team. We worked super hard. We had a lot of training sessions so I’m just proud of each and every one of us for just putting in that work throughout this tournament,” the captain stated.

“We trained a lot and we also communicated off the field to stay connected. I would say that we have such a good bond and that’s what helped us to go all the way to the final.”

The stalwart defender was instrumental in Jamaica’s impressive defensive record which saw them keeping three clean sheets and only conceding twice in the tournament.

She said with the years of experience playing as a defender, she is able to communicate with her team at all times.

“I’ve been playing football since about eight years old so quite a long time,” McPherson said. “I love how playing centre back, you can see everything and can communicate with your team.

The Jewels of the Caribbean tournament was viewed by the Jamaica Football Federation as preparation for the Concacaf Women’s U20 Qualifiers set for February 20 through to February 25 next year.

The Girlz have been drawn in Group D along with Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The winners of the group will advance to the Concacaf Women’s U20 Championship to compete for a spot in the 2026 FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup.

McPherson is looking forward to the upcoming national team assignments as she hopes for the team to continue to improve their cohesion on and off the pitch.

“We have a camp coming up soon so we’re just continuing to develop, work hard and communicate on and off the field.”