Boyz camp cancelled, team departs for visas
THE REGGAE Boyz training camp which was supposed to be used as preparation for next week’s friendly international against the United States has been cancelled.
In a release today, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), citing developments in travel to Austria where the match is taking place, advised that the local delegation of players as well as staff left the island for Washington, DC, to make themselves available for visa appointments today at 9:00 a.m. at the Austrian Embassy. The game will be played on March 25.
According to JFF President Michael Ricketts, following tomorrow’s appointments, they will remain in Washington, DC, until the end of the week where they have been assured their travel documents will be ready. After which they will proceed directly to Austria for the game.
“We were able to secure appointments for all the players and staff members who are on the list and they will do their interviews tomorrow (today) as we have been guaranteed that by Friday the visas will be ready,” Ricketts told The Gleaner.
Fifteen local-based players were called up for training with one of the players sent home after testing positive for COVID-19.
The full squad is to be released tomorrow with a number of England-based players expected to be named.
Ricketts said that arrangements have been made with the hope that the full contingent will be in Austria by the latest March 22, three days before the match. The game is being used as preparation for the upcoming Gold Cup tournament and World Cup qualifiers.