Football failure

JAMAICA'S dream of making the football World Cup finals for a second consecutive time is all but over. The national team is still statistically in the chase but it has little practical chance of getting to the 2002 finals in Japan/Korea with two matches left to be played.

As the campaign winds down we can reflect with some satisfaction on the performances of the Reggae Boyz, as they have been dubbed. They brought great joy to many Jamaicans on the occasion of the country's historic qualification four years ago. The euphoria brought with it a heightened sense of nationalism and pride rarely seen before in Jamaica.

Football fans, most dressed in the national colours, flocked to the National Stadium to watch the team perform. The players became national heroes overnight.

With qualification came many benefits for the national footballers and the Jamaica Football Federation. Several players began to make a good living from the game both in England and the continent as well as in North America. The success of the Reggae Boyz has also inspired national age group teams which went on to qualify for world youth championships at the under-17 and under-20 levels.

Non-qualification for Japan/Korea will have a negative effect on the development of the game locally. The JFF will be hurt financially and youth development could also be set back.

It will also be more difficult now to begin much needed infrastructure development which has failed to keep pace with the improvements in the other areas.

The abrupt dismissal of the Technical Director after the game in Honduras has disclosed an element of some concern. It has to do with what JFF president Captain Burrell has disclosed as "growing indiscipline" in the team. This must be dealt with decisively, for Jamaica must ensure that it nurtures a cadre of young players from which to build for the World Cup in 2006.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.

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