Walters and Downswell LOCAL coaches Patrick "Jackie" Walters and Wendell Downswell will be at Jamaica's helm when our Under-20 footballers take the field for their first game in the Youth World Cup in Argentina on June 17.
Technical director Clovis de Oliveira yesterday quashed rumours that former technical director and Brazilian compatriot Rene Simoes would return to guide the Under-20s in Argentina.
"We qualified the team together so we see no reason to change," de Oliveira told The Gleaner. "I have a lot of confidence in them. They deserve the confidence of the fans."
Walters and Downswell's selection, de Olieveira said, was not a big deal and it would be hard for him to go.
"That is not a big deal," he explained. "It is going to be hard for me to go. When we qualified for the next phase I did not go all the time," said the man, who pundits claimed, was spreading himself too thin between the Under-17s, Under-20s and senior team at crucial times in their World Cup qualifiers.
Jamaica play their first game against Egypt and de Oliveira said the JFF's technical staff has decided to use trips to the Cayman Islands and Brazil as warm-up.
"The best option we can afford is to go to the Cayman Islands and we will confirm by this weekend, he said.
"We will have two games against the Cayman Islands national team on about June 2 and 3. After that we return to Jamaica and leave for Brazil around June 6. In Brazil we will have the possibility of another two matches against the Brazil Under-20 team and either Angola or Ghana and then we leave for Buenos Aires on June 13.
"We would have liked to go to Europe or Africa and so on for further preparation but we cannot afford it and we are not Brazil or France. They get invitations to these tournaments but we would have to pay our way."
The technical director said the four friendlies should be enough to prepare Jamaica for their historic World Cup apearance. In addition, a fitness programme has been designed for the Boyz by physical trainer Glydiston Ananias.
For the two freindly games against the Cayman Islands, de Oliveira said the overseas-based players should be available. Adam Wallace, Khari Stephenson and Nicholas Addlery should join the team in Jamaica whereas Keith Kelly and Alex Thomas should meet the team in Miami.
De Oliveira also revealed that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) could be hosting the general manager of the Brazilian age group teams and "godfather" to the Jamaican teams, professor Nilson Gonsalves, today.
Gonsalves, de Oiliveira said, was on his way to Trinidad and Tobago for the Under-17 World Cup and enquired if he could stop in Jamaica.
There is also a possibility, de Oliveira added, Brazil's Under-17 squad could spend a week training in Jamaica early September.
By Nodley Wright
Staff Reporter
