Fuller...one of Jamaica's overseas-based players.UNAVAILABILITY OF the National Stadium field and inadequate funds continue to hinder the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) efforts to maximise home advantage in a series of friendly internationals and age group World Cup qualifiers planned for this year.
As a result, the national Under-17s have given up home advantage for their World Cup qualifying tie against St. Kitts, playing both games in the eastern Caribbean between September 20-22. In addition, the JFF also had to pass up an offer to host the Caribbean Zone Under-20 World Cup qualifiers, which start tomorrow in the Cayman Islands.
Although the National Stadium successfully hosted the World Junior Championships of Athletics recently, the facility remains closed to football for the rest of the year, the Institute of Sports said, because the field has to be re-laid.
"We declined because of the lack of a facility," Burrell said Sunday, hours before the senior team departed for England where they will play India in two friendlies set for this Sunday and next Tuesday.
The Reggae Boyz, Burrell said, will play Guatemala October 30 in Guatemala City and discussions are underway for an October 16 match against Japan. Negotiations are also taking place with Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, World Cup shockers Senegal and others.
"The Federation tried its best not to withdraw the young footballers and will do everything possible to ensure they participate," Burrell said of the Under-20s, adding that the senior women footballers, set to bow into Gold Cup action late October, will face fellow qualifiers Trinidad and Tobago in away friendlies on October 9 and 11.
Attempting to emulate its historic feat of qualifying for the 1998 World Cup on the back of countless friendly internationals and an unbeaten four-year streak at home, the JFF has a number of friendlies lined-up.
"It is our intention to play at least one friendly per month and where possible two," Burrell said. "We've also returned to the practice of keeping a local-based team in constant training.
"This is extremely necessary because FIFA has recently stated overseas-based players attached to clubs will only be released on specific dates," he pointed out. "It's not as easy as before to get players released for national teams except when there's a World Cup qualifier."
The JFF's financial woes, which caused quite a stir recently when the football body suddenly sent home national teams in training, remains as is even though government had intervened, promising funds from a newly-formed lottery-funded body to salvage a fallout from the Sports Development Foundation.
"Unfortunately, we've not yet received the restoration of the subvention promised by government," Burrel said. "The Federation awaits the Prime Minister. He has promised to deal with the situation and I am confident he will deliver."
- Ainsley Walters
