Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Rene Simoes ... will have a full squad to choose from for the February 6 friendly against Costa Rica at the National Stadium.

RENé SIMOES will have a crack squad to choose from when he makes his 'Office' return with the Reggae Boyz who are confirmed to tackle Costa Rica in an international friendly match at the National Stadium on February 6.

Additionally, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has doubled its ticket prices for the match.

"I'm confirming the staging of the biggest friendly to take place at 'The Office' in recent times on Wednesday, the sixth of February, under the new technical director René Simoes," Captain Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, told The Gleaner in an interview by phone yesterday from Japan, where he is conducting FIFA duties at the World Club Championship.

"This game will be against a full-strength Costa Rica national team," Burrell said.

"We'll also be fielding our strongest possible team in years as all our foreign-based players will be available for selection.

Top players

"It's a FIFA date and, therefore, all the players, including Marlon King, will be invited," he continued when asked specifically about the goalscoring English-based striker who was banned for two years by the previous administration but got a reprieve from the new JFF administration which lifted the ban weeks ago with immediate effect.

Regarding the significant increase in admission costs - the highest in years - Burrell reckoned it's "expensive", but "necessary".

"Because of the huge costs involved in staging a friendly international of this magnitude, the fans will be asked to pay more to attend the game.

"The fees to be charged are for the bleachers - $1,000 and for the grandstand $2,500 and $3,000, respectively," Burrell said.

Those were the ticket prices when things came to a climax during qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France, when cycle track seats were included. Jamaica played two internationals at the National Stadium last month, beating El Salvador 3-0 and Guatemala 2-0. Admission to those games was $500 for bleachers, with grandstand tickets costing $1,200 and $1,500, respectively.

Huge increase

Burrell said: "We know that this is a huge increase. However, we are asking the fans to look at this as their way of contributing to the national programme and aiding the preparation of the Reggae Boyz, who are slated to begin their World Cup qualifiers in June of next year, rather than looking at it as just paying to watch a match.

"Therefore, the federation has decided to go for stronger opposition in order to get the Reggae Boyz ready for the World Cup qualifiers," he said.

Last year, Nigeria, after accepting US$70,000 to play the Reggae Boyz, declined when the federation refused to pay their flight costs from Mexico to Kingston. The Africans, who had been in Mexico for a friendly international, said such an amount would not have been able to cover allowances for its 19-member team and staff.

"Staging friendly international games at the National Stadium are, indeed, very expensive," Burrell said. "But, on the other hand, it's very necessary and we must begin to once again rebuild our fan base at home so that during the qualifiers we will have our loyal supporters filling the stadium and playing their part as the 12th man."