Jamaican right-back Craig Ziadie and Haiti's Jemps Desir lunge for the ball during Sunday's return-leg World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium. Jamaica won 3-0.
Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
,b>LESS THAN a day after disposing of Haiti in the World Cup march to Germany 2004, JFF President Crenston Boxhill says preparations are already under way for Jamaica's next opponents, the United States.
"The work continues on all fronts," said Boxhill in an interview from his JFF office yesterday.
"Our next assignment is the United States in August and we are in discussions with a number of countries regarding preparatory matches for the US game. What I have to do now is to sit down with the technical director tomorrow (today) to see how many games he would like and the dates that he wants these games," Boxhill said.
PRE-SEASON TRAINING
Boxhill added that it was important that these dates be finalised as early as possible because "this time around it will be difficult to have extensive camps as a number of our players are overseas-based professionals with commitments to pre-season training so we will mainly have games".
The Boxhill of yesterday was a different one from last week. For the entire week his existence was an uneasy one as he counted down the time to the second leg World Cup qualifier against Haiti. Like Technical Director Carl Brown, his survival in the job depended on a positive result.
"I had maintained that we are at least two goals better than Haiti and we showed it yesterday but if I were to say that there were no nerves and concern then I would be lying," said Boxhill.
"Unfortunately the entire administration of the JFF is judged on the performance of the senior team. Every game brings about anxiety and yesterday was one of the worst," he added.
Boxhill said the country and the football team had been through lower periods than they were following the 1-1 draw with Haiti in Miami two Saturdays ago. The 5-0 loss to Mexico during the 1998 qualifying campaign was a very low point "but still we managed to qualify".
"Yesterday was different though, it was like a final. In fact it was a final because had we lost there was nowhere else for us to go but out," a relieved Boxhill explained.
With that out of the way he can continue his work.
"Another of my immediate plans is to have a retreat soon with the football minds in order to address our football, especially the National Premier League," he said.
The youth programme, which was trumpeted in his campaign, will not be left out either.
YOUTH PROGRAMME
"I just had a two-hour meeting this morning with Patrick 'Jackie' Walters the youth coordinator to discuss the youth programme and we are thinking seriously about sending one of our Under-17 or Under-20 youth teams on an overseas trip, before we host two Caribbean Football Union tournaments here for those age groups in July and August," he added.
While planning is going well for these tournaments, sponsorship is still to be procured.
"We have been trying but to date we have not managed to get any sponsors for those tournaments as yet," said Boxhill.
With the busy months ahead Boxhill knows that the work has just begun.
"What I have just outlined to you means is that there will be no rest period. That in itself is not unexpected though as I knew it was coming and had prepared for it," he concluded.
JFF may boot Hyde
JAMAICA'S FIRST leg World Cup qualifier against Haiti could have been Micah Hyde's last for his country.
According to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President, Crenston Boxhill, the England-born player who failed to show for Jamaica's crucial second leg World Cup qualifier against Haiti on Sunday committed an act on the level of treason and as such would not be readily welcomed back to the fold by him.
"I have not been able to sit down with the player yet, but if what I am hearing is true, that he went to Florida on holidays, it would be very difficult for me to agree with him playing for Jamaica again as long as I am president.
"That kind of behaviour is tantamount to treason - abandoning your country in the middle of war. There is always space and room in one's heart for understanding and forgiveness but this would be very difficult," Boxhill told The Gleaner yesterday.
Hyde, who played an important role in Jamaica's 1-1 draw in the first leg of the World Cup tie against Haiti, was granted permission by the JFF and the national team coaching staff to travel to England on Sunday night to 'tie up contractual arrangements with a club on Monday'.
He was set to return to the island last week Tuesday but failed to do so or make contact with the JFF.
"He should have returned on Tuesday but did not. Up to Friday in the day Howard Bell, the team manager, the technical director Carl Brown and myself were trying to reach him without success. We even left messages and got no response," Boxhill explained.
With time winding down and what appeared to be hide and seek on the part of the player, the coaching staff decided to summon the rugged warrior Jamie Lawrence, who duly turned up.
Just two days before the match Hyde made contact with Brown.
"I learnt late Friday that he made contact with technical director Brown saying that he was in Florida and requested that a ticket be sent for him. That request was not going to be met so he said that he was making arrangements to come down on Saturday," Boxhill added.
There was still another twist, as someone went to pick up Hyde at the Norman Manley International Airport from a 5:00 p.m. landing, but the player called to say that he had missed the flight, Boxhill said.
That for Boxhill was the last straw.
"One should be proud to represent his or her country and do so with commitment. Sadly he (Hyde) did not demonstrate that last week," said Boxhill.
Hyde made his debut for Jamaica in the 2002 World Cup campaign against Honduras at the National Stadium in May 2001. The more he represented the country the more his reputation grew and it was thought that he would have played a key role in Jamaica's bid to qualify for the World Cup a second time in 2006.
- Nodley Wright
