- Reuters
FIFA president Joseph Blatter is seen on a large video screen during the preliminary round draw for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany at the historic Festhalle in Frankfurt yesterday. A total of 197 associations plus New Caledonia, have enrolled for the 2006 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition.
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
JAMAICA'S REGGAE Boyz will kick off their qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup against either Haiti or Turks and Caicos Islands in June next year.
The matching was decided at FIFA's CONCACAF zone draw yesterday in Germany, which will host the championship.
Haiti and Turks and Caicos were drawn to meet in the first round for a two-game series that promotes the winner on aggregate to face Jamaica, which drew a first-round bye.
All told, 20 teams will play in the first round and that number will be halved after the home-and-away knockout series.
The 10 qualifiers will join 14 other teams for a 24-nation second round from which 12 will advance after two home-and-away ties to the semi-finals.
The semi-final round dozen will play in three groups of four, with the top two in each division advancing to a six-nation Finals Competition which will ultimately decide CONCACAF's 2006 World Cup qualifiers.
Four CONCACAF teams have a chance to qualify the top three will automatically advance and the fourth-place finisher in the Finals Competition will tackle the fifth-placed team in the Asian qualifiers in a home-and-away series for the other place.
COINCIDENTALLY
French-speaking Haiti qualified for the World Cup Finals once, coincidentally the 1974 tournament that was held in the country which hosted yesterday's draw Germany.
They are ranked 88th in the world and are highly favoured to put away rank outsiders Turks and Caicos, whose place at the bottom of FIFA's world rankings at 203 signify their classification as one of the sport's true minnows.
Actually, their national association was formed in 1996 and they joined FIFA two years later when Jamaica made their historic foray into the World Cup Finals in France.
In their only qualifying attempt, Turks and Caicos were mauled 14-0 by St. Kitts/Nevis in a three-day two-game series.
This upcoming task is not expected to last longer than two matches either and already the top brass of Jamaica's football is looking to the Haitian challenge.
"Haiti is our first hurdle and once we get by them we should have a good chance in the group," said Crenston Boxhill, newly-elected president of the Jamaica Football Federation.
Speaking to The Gleaner from Germany after the draw, Boxhill, who was manager of the Reggae Boyz during their France '98 campaign, added: "It's not the easiest draw but it's not a draw that is beyond us. It's a draw that we're capable of managing.
"One thing for sure it could be worse. It gives us a fighting chance."
One of Boxhill's lieutenants, JFF second vice president Linnel McLean, called the draw "interesting".
"It's an interesting draw in that Haiti has qualified already so you can't take them lightly. They have tradition," the Trelawny FA president said.
McLean, a long-time server of football who has also headed KSAFA, also spoke of Haiti's experience and said Jamaica should not take them "lightly".
"Most of these French territories have situations where their players play in Europe, particularly in France, so they may not only have tradition but experience as well. You can't take them lightly," said McLean.
Despite that, he was optimistic Jamaica would eliminate them.
"We're fairly confident about our situation at this time," said McLean. "Our team has been gelling and we feel that with proper preparation, we should be victorious."
Jamaica have never played against Turks and Caicos Islands, but have beaten Haiti in all three previous clashes. In their first meeting, Donald Stewart scored for a 1-0 victory in an October 18 friendly international in 1997; Ian Goodison and Oneil McDonald netted in an August 7 2-1 Shell Cup win in 1998; and most recently, the Reggae Boyz dispatched them 3-0 on March 30 in Gold Cup qualifiers at the National Stadium with goals from Jermaine Johnson, Omar Daley and a defender.
The winner of the Jamaica-Haiti tie will play in a semi-final Group One, which is likely to include the United States, El Salvador and Panama.
CONCACAF DRAW
First round
Home-and-home Winners advance
Aruba vs. Surinam
Bermuda vs. Montserrat
British Virgin Islands vs. St. Lucia
Cayman Islands vs. Cuba
Dominica vs. Bahamas
Dominican Republic vs. Anguilla
Grenada vs. Guyana
Haiti vs. Turks and Caicos Islands
Netherlands Antilles vs. Antigua and Barbuda
U.S. Virgin Islands vs. St. Kitts and Nevis
Second round
Home-and-home Winners advance
Barbados vs. U.S. Virgin Islands-St. Kitts and Nevis winner
Belize vs. Canada
Costa Rica vs. Cayman Islands-Cuba winner
El Salvador vs. Bermuda-Montserrat winner
Guatemala vs. Aruba-Surinam winner
Honduras vs. Netherlands Antilles-Antigua and Barbuda winner
Jamaica vs. Haiti-Turks and Caicos Islands winner
Panama vs. British Virgin Islands-St. Lucia winner
Mexico vs. Dominica-Bahamas winner
St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Nicaragua
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Dominican Republic-Anguilla winner
United States vs. Grenada-Guyana winner
Semi-finals
Top two teams in each group advance
Group One
El Salvador vs Bermuda-Montserrat winner
Jamaica vs Haiti-Turks and Caicos Islands winner
Panama vs British Virgin Islands-St. Lucia winner
United States vs Grenada-Guyana winner
Group Two
Belize vs Canada winner
Costa Rica vs Cayman Islands-Cuba winner
Guatemala vs Aruba-Surinam winner
Honduras vs Netherlands Antilles-Antigua and Barbuda winner
Group Three
Barbados vs US Virgin Islands-St. Kitts and
Nevis winner
Mexico vs Dominica-Bahamas winner
St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs Nicaragua winner
Trinidad and Tobago-Dominican Republic winner vs Anguilla winner
