Robert Bailey, Freelance Writer

JAMAICA'S NATIONAL Under-17 and Under-20 male football teams will be heading off to Brazil in June and July, respectively, for two-week training camps as they prepare for World Cup qualifiers this year.

René Simoes, technical director of Jamaica's football programme, made the announcement at a press conference at the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) headquarters yesterday. He said the young Reggae Boyz have been invited by Sao Jose de Pinhais in the state Coritiba.

He said the agreement would see Sao Jose de Pinhais providing accommodation, travel and other expenses for the young Reggae Boyz, while the JJF will only be responsible for the airfare.

'Great opportunity'

"This is a great opportunity for us because they can provide us with what we need and we will have to provide them with what they want, whether in sports or education," said Simoes.

Simoes added that he was pleased with the level of maturity and guts shown by the local-based players on their recent three-week tour of Brazil.

"The performances in Brazil were excellent," he said. "The trip was really successful because I think that the players understood quite well what they were about during their time in Brazil.

"I hope the players keep building a good character because at the end of the line a team must have character and this is what I discussed with them in Brazil."

He also disclosed that the Reggae Boyz, who are down to tackle Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly international on Wednesday, would be without their inspirational captain Ricardo Gardner and veteran defender Ian Goodison because of club commitments.

Meanwhile, Captain Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, said he is expecting a battle on Wednesday at the National Stadium.

"We are taking this game very serious because we believe that in the Caribbean we are the leaders in football and Trinidad (and Tobago) believe otherwise and I think we will have to proved this on the field of play on Wednesday. "We are going to ... put them in their right place where they belong."

Former Glenmuir daCosta Cup star James Thomas is the only newcomer to the 13 local-based players who have been selected to join up with the overseas-based players for the game.

The rest of the local contingent is Dwayne Carr, Ricardo Cousins, Rudolph Austin, Hugh Howell, Keammar Daley, Adrian Reid, Christopher Harvey, Christopher Jackson, Keneil Moodie, Woolry Wolf and Alien Whittaker and Obrian Woodine.

The 10 overseas-based players are Marlon King (Wigan), Donovan Ricketts (Bradford City), Demar Phillips (Stoke City), Luton Shelton (Sheffield United), Omar Daley (Bradford City), Demar Stewart (Royal White Star, Belgium), Jamal Campbell-Rice (Barnsley), Oneil Thompson (Nottoden, Norway), Khari Stephenson (AIK Stockholm, Sweden) and Tyrone Marshall (Toronto FC).