New chapter for Hall as Boyz face Suriname
Jamaica will kick off their Nations League campaign against Suriname at the Dr Ir Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, Suriname, on Saturday at 6 p.m Jamaica time.
The Reggae Boyz, who are in League A with Suriname and Mexico, will not only hope to write a new chapter under interim head coach Paul Hall, but also qualify for the Nations League semi-finals and secure qualification for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Hall will be in charge of a continental competition from the start after overseeing the final six games of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Hall took the job on an interim basis in December after the dismissal of Theodore Whitmore.
Jamaica’s last game was their 6-0 defeat to Catalonia on May 25 in an international friendly. Players who featured in that game, including Junior Flemmings, Kaheem Parris, and Tyreek Magee are part of the 23-man squad for the June window.
While some have criticised the friendly and its purpose, Hall said that it was beneficial to measure themselves and to see where they need to be to compete consistently at the elite level.
“It was a good opportunity to see what world class looks like,” he said. “They are a physical manifestation of where we want to be. We want to pass the ball quickly. We want to rotate, we want to move the ball around quickly. It was a good eye-opener to see where we need to be, how close or how far we are away.” Jamaica has a winning record against “A-Selektie” with five wins and two losses. The last time that Jamaica lost to Suriname was in the Caribbean Cup in May 1996. Since then Jamaica has won the last three meetings, including a 2-0 triumph in the Gold Cup last July. Football analyst Andrew Price says that while a positive playing style is important, winning has to take priority to boost the morale and to get their campaign off to the best possible start.
“It is important that we start winning games,” he said. “As Hall continues to rebuild the team, he is going to have get them to play the type of football that he wants to play. So we have to take this seriously and get all three points.”
Jamaica will then host Suriname on Tuesday before hosting Mexico on June 14.