Suriname Shoot-Out For Jamaica’s Caribbean Cup Defence
Whitmore’s Reggae Boyz eye up money-spinning prize
Theodore Whitmore has the chance to continue his tremendously good run in the Caribbean Cup when Suriname visit Kingston on November 13. Jamaica’s interim head coach, who scooped 2010 Caribbean Cup glory at the helm, faces a one-off match challenge against the relative minnows from South America.
And the prize on offer for the winning team is a money-spinning place in next June’s final four of the Caribbean Cup competition, with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz the defending champions. It was former head coach Winfried Schäfer who bagged his only honours with the Boyz by winning the 2014 Caribbean Cup on home soil at Montego Bay.
But with Schäfer replaced by Whitmore, it is the former fan favourite who now has to deliver the goods with victory over Suriname also earning a berth in next year’s Gold Cup tournament.
Whitmore was due to kick off his return as chief against Suriname on 5 October, but the tie at the Anthony Spaulding Complex in Kingston was postponed because of safety concerns following Hurricane Matthew.
He made a successful return as head coach, albeit courtesy of two extra time goals, to defeat hosts Guyana on 11 October with a creditable 4-2 success. The buoyant Boyz bounced back from the jaws of defeat, having trailed by two goals within half-an-hour.
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Although the squad had been chosen by his predecessor Schäfer, who omitted both European-based players and veterans, Whitmore brought in just one additional player in the shape of Seattle Sounders defender Oneil Fisher, but he was hauled off after 55 minutes.
With the original match delayed Whitmore has plenty of time to try to develop his vastly inexperienced squad that he has inherited for the shoot-out against Suriname. The tie has to produce a winner, determined by extra time or a penalties if necessary, with the victorious side progressing as table-toppers from the three-team group.
Guyana were the other team in the group, battling Jamaica but tasting defeat to bow out of the three-horse race to next year’s finals in the United States. Guyana had been widely reported to have seen off Suriname 3-2 in their tie, although it appeared that the initial reports were erroneous and that it was actually Suriname who grabbed the glory in their five-goal thriller.
And it appeared that Whitmore’s first match in charge would be a nightmare, before the hour-mark when suddenly the Boyz clicked as a unit and took the game to Guyana. Yet the interim head coach has his work cut out to ensure that Jamaica carve out another win.
Like Jamaica the Suriname team are experiencing having their head coach back for a second shot.
Roberto Gödeken originally coached the side in 2013 only to be replaced by former Ajax ace Dean Gorre the following year. But he returned at the helm in February and has been tasked with qualifying for the Caribbean Cup finals for the first time since 2001.
Suriname’s largest win in the competition was the 1996 shock 3-1 success over the Boyz inside Trinidad’s Hasely Crawford Stadium, which eliminated Jamaica in the group stages of the finals.
Whitmore will be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself and that he can carve out a victory that will propel not only Jamaica’s international status up the FIFA world rankings, but also put him in contention to take the role of head coach on a permanent basis.
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