Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterTRUE TO his word that whoever showed quality would be give an opportunity, new head coach of Jamaica's national football team, Sebastiao Lazaroni, has invited an impressive youngster to train with the national team.
Seventeen-year-old Akeem Priestley is the one lucky enough to be invited to train with the big boys following his impressive displays with the Jamaica Under-20 team in the Caribbean Football Union round of the World Under-20 football championship qualifiers. The qualifiers took place at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
"Yes, he (Priestley) has been invited to train with the senior team. Like Jermaine Taylor who I saw in Clarendon game and invited to train with the national team ahead of the US game, I have invited him to train with the squad," Lazaroni said. "Remember when I just arrived I said that whoever showed good quality would get the opportunity," he said.
ADAPTING TO SENIOR TEAM
"Akeem has good quality and a good mind for the football. We want him to adapt to the senior team as quick as possible. He is a good player. If he has the same attitude with the senior team as he shows now with the Under-20s he will get the opportunity."
That opportunity could come this evening when the locally-based group of Reggae Boyz take on the St. James parish team at Jarrett Park at 6:00 p.m. Another much-talked about youngster, midfielder Keith Kelly, could make his overdue return to the national set-up this evening also.
According to Lazaroni, who gave the player his first taste of senior team action close to four years ago on his first tour of duty, Kelly has been in training with the remaining members of the local party.
"Kelly is training with the squad to play against Montego Bay on Sunday. There are also Fabian Davis, Richard McCallum, Fitzroy Jackson, Damion Stewart and Damion Williams," Lazaroni said.
The first time Kelly represented the senior team it was in a friendly international against Panama at Jarrett Park.
Marco McDonald, who like Kelly has not been in the national picture for a while, was not included because of injury, Lazaroni said.
In today's game, Lazaroni will be looking for more quality players.
"Against the United States, Claude Davis was our best defenceman and if we can find more players like him here that would be good," he said.
Lazaroni said he has not had enough time to see some of his players, such as Jermaine Johnson and Richard Langley, and needs more time to observe them.
The fact that he did not know all of his players well was part of the reason why he made just one change in his team's 1-1 draw with the US in the August 18 World Cup qualifier, he said.
LUCKY GOAL
"Of course that (not knowing all the players well) is a part of it and some of the players did not play the positions I wanted. I was thinking that the US would not score so why change. It was a lucky goal," he said.
Lazaroni also took to the time to explain the fact that he was not interviewed after the US game. Contrary to what was believed at the time he did not refuse to grant any.
"It was mistake. One journalist from The Gleaner wanted an interview on the cycle track and I said no. I wanted to do the interview inside. I waited for 45 minutes and no one came," he said.
"After that I spoke to Earl Bailey from the federation and said that next time both coaches go to one place and have a press conference. All over the world it is normally like that after a game. For the next game against Panama both coaches will be available at the same time," he said.
Full national squad:
Aaron Lawrence, Richard McCallum, Damion Stewart, Wayne Ellis, Jonathon Williams, Cornel Chin-Sue, Roland Dean, Jermaine Taylor, Teofore Bennett, Rudolph Austin, Keith Kelly, Damion Williams (Seba United), Christopher Jackson, Akeem Priestly, Kirk Boswell, Richard West, Leighton Murray, Alex Thomas, Gerald Neil, Fabian Davis, Antholow Dawkins, Shane Crawford, Damion Williams- Portmore and Marco Harrison.
