By Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport EditorTHERE IS very strong speculation again that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is seeking the services of a foreign coach to take over from Technical Director Carl Brown, the national senior team boss.
This time, the rumours are just as widespread as they were towards the back-end of the Captain Horace Burrell-led federation.
The 1-1 draw against Haiti in the first-leg World Cup qualifying match in Miami brought on the latest wave of rumours, which have grown sharper over the past week despite the Reggae Boyz' emphatic 3-0 result in Sunday's return-leg victory over the Caribbean side at the National Stadium.
Asked to verify the rumours in a late evening telephone interview yesterday, JFF President Crenston Boxhill said: "Not that I know of. That is just speculation and that speculation has been around even before we came into office.
"Carl (Brown) is the technical director as we speak."
Responding to a follow-up about whether Brown's position was likely to change soon, Boxhill said:"I'm not prepared to say right now," adding "... this is just the first step in the very long journey to Germany."
The Haiti games were the first in the World Cup 2006 eliminators for the Reggae Boyz and they have now advanced to a four-nation semi-final group with the United States, El Salvador and Panama.
They will play a round robin competition on a home and away basis with the top two qualifying for CONCACAF's final round six-team play-off from which the top three will automatically earn a berth in Germany.
There is talk that given the performance of the team in the Haiti ties though, it is unlikely that Jamaica will achieve its goal.
Brown was understudy to Brazilian Rene Simoes, the technical director of the country's only successful World Cup qualifying series.
Asked if he felt the team's performance under Brown reflected shortcomings that suggested change for a coach with greater international experience, Boxhill did not say yes. But he did not say no either.
"We've this programme going, the Road to Germany, which we expect to end with us qualifying for the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany, but like anything else you've to take it step by step, one game at a time, one round at a time," he explained.
"So far, the technical staff, headed by Carl, has allowed us to cross the first hurdle, so for that I'm satisfied and very grateful and say thanks publicly not only to the Technical Director but the entire technical staff.
SATISFIED
"I'm satisfied we're here. We had expected to be here at this time," he stated.
Continuing, the JFF president said " ... now that we've reached this round we're assessing every aspect of it including our preparation, the federation's role, the players, the entire staff.
"At the end of it (assessment) we'll decide what we need to do, or whether we need to do anything at all. People might look at it (assessment) as the past two World Cup games but as far as we're concerned, it started when we took up office.
"What we want to do is to make certain we give this country, Jamaica land we love, the best chance of qualifying for the World Cup Finals in Germany in 2006," concluded Boxhill.
The names being bandied about are Brazilian Sebastiao Lazaroni, who served here as technical director with Brown his understudy; and Bora Milutinovic, who now coaches Honduras.
Of Bora, Boxhill revealed that "... at least a week ago I saw him in Miami with his team, Honduras, looking very relaxed. We didn't have any discussions because as far as I see it he's with the Honduras team."
NO TALKS WITH LAZARONI
About Lazaroni: "I'm not certain where in the world Lazaroni is at this time. We've not had any discussion with Lazaroni about joining Jamaica. Of course we know he's a big coach."
Brown says he knows about the rumours.
"I've heard it," he said in a Gleaner interview last night. "I've known as a fact that they've gone through the Argentine Embassy to get someone, that was before the Uruguay game, but I haven't heard anything since. Nobody has said anything to me."
The former national defender and captain said he wants to be given the opportunity to go the full course to complete the task he has been given.
"I believe I've been given a job and I should be allowed to do the job," he said. "But I've been employed by someone and I realise that they do have that right. If they feel they've someone to do the job that I'm doing that is their right.
"I've a signed contract with the federation to do a job and I'm trying to honour that contract as much as possible," said Brown, whose four-year term started in 2002 and is slated to finish in 2006, the year of the World Cup finals.
