Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Players looking to don the jersey of Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will have to kick their game into high gear as Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president, Captain Horace Burrell, insists there will be no preferential treatment given in the nation's bid for a spot at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Burrell, the man who steered the programme when Jamaica made history by qualifying for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France, has made no bones about the fact that his administration is into the business of winning and will seek to have the best 11 on the pitch at all times, whether they be foreign- or local-based.

"We want the best possible 11 to be out there at all times, whether it is that you're Jamaican-based here or abroad," Burrell told The Gleaner. "We are not into the business of losing. It's all good and well to say you played well, but you didn't win. The fact is we want to win."

The debate over foreign-based footballers playing a major role in the national team has raged on for the last 10 years. It came to the fore as a result of the inclusion of Jamaican nationals like Paul Hall, Fitzroy Simpson, Deon Burton and Darryl Powell in the 1998 team. Some of the players had never been to the island before the qualifiers started.

Burton scored four goals in five games, which proved quite decisive in the country's quali-fication, an exploit which won him Sportsman of the Year in 1998.

However, the dynamics have now changed quite a bit as several of the overseas-based players currently called to the team have in fact, plied their trade locally before heading abroad to make their mark.

"Soon, we will be travelling to England to speak to other players who are interested. We will be looking to field the best available team for the qualifiers," Burrell explained when questioned about players who have been left out of the squad called to face Costa Rica on February 6. "Our business is going to be the business of winning."

Among players not called this time around are right-winger Jermaine Johnson, central mid-fielder Jason Euell and English Premiership club Sunderland's centre half, Nyron Nosworthy.

kwesi.mugisa@gleanerjm.com