JFF’s Protest Over US Qualifier Is Given The Boot By FIFA
Jamaica’s chance of getting to the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals has taken a knock after FIFA rejected last year’s protest by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
The JFF filed two objections a week after their 1-1 CONCACAF World Cup qualifier stalemate against the United States in November. However, FIFA’s disciplinary committee have dismissed the JFF’s protest.
Yet the JFF, eager to ensure that the Reggae Boyz reach November’s World Cup finals in Qatar, also have an outstanding complaint with football’s governing body. The JFF have claimed that Costa Rica fielded a pair of COVID-positive players in last week’s 1-0 win, which eliminated Jamaica from progressing.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee responded in a 34-point decision about the JFF’s objections in respect of the USA encounter. The statement conclued that the JFF failed to notify the match commissioner of the protest, and also failed to make a payment of 1,000 Swiss francs (at the time US$1,075) to accompany their protest.
FIFA wrote: “The JFF failed to provide a copy of its original protest to the match commissioner, nor evidence that said protest had been submitted in writing to the latter within two hours of the match.
“Two out of the three conditions for a protest to be admissible from a procedural perspective had not been met. As such, the Committee stressed that it had no other option but to consider the protest to be inadmissible.”
JFF’s listed two objections, one relating to a penalty that was not awarded and the other about a goal that was disallowed. This were incidents before VAR was introduced for the final six group games for the entire CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign.
Television replays against the US showed that Jamaica had been unfortunate not to have won a spot-kick and that a late header from defender Damion Lowe should not have been disallowed.
However, the JFF failed to mention in their report to FIFA that Lowe was extremely fortunate to not have been sent off, as television replays indicated that he would have most likely been given his marching orders had VAR been available.
Regarding the US clash, the JFF claimed that during the first-half the ball hit Chris Richards on the hand and that should have been a penalty kick. The JFF also claimed that Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderon should have blown for a goal rather than infringement for Lowe’s 84th-minute six-yard header.
Both objections to the US draw and the Costa Rica defeat by the JFF seem desperate measures and clutching at straws to make it to the highly lucrative finals. But the reality is that Jamaica have failed miserably on the pitch, and attempts by the JFF to earn victories via FIFA complaints would set up a dangerous precedent not to mention the potential for threats of legal wrangles.
The JFF have overseen just one win from 11 World Cup qualifiers, with three games remaining in March. Theodore Whitmore was axed from his role as head coach, with the JFF promoting his assistant Paul Hall on an interim basis. Yet Hall’s three World Cup qualifying reversals on the bounce has ended Jamaica’s interest.
They only way that they could be in contention for a spot in the World Cup finals is if the JFF’s complaint with FIFA controversially results in the Boyz being awarded maximum points, despite the 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica.
The JFF’s medical commission claimed that Costa Rica’s victory included two players who should not have been involved because they had tested positive for COVID. With the Costa Rican Football Federation responding with a statement that claimed all players were cleared based on CONCACAF guidelines.
FIFA will deal with JFF’s formal complaint, although there appears nothing to indicate that points would be awarded to Jamaica.
The Boyz have missed out on the three automatic qualifying berths regardless of the outcome of their appeal. Jamaica’s best chance is to win back the points lost to Costa Rica and chase the possibility of snatching fourth spot in the eight-nation group, which would ensure an inter-confederation play-off. But that would require three victories from three games as well as other group results falling favourable for the Boyz.
Without FIFA handing the Boyz maximum points, then Jamaica will only be playing for pride against El Salvador, table-topping Canada and rock bottom Honduras when they could blood some more talent ahead of tackling the CONCACAF Nations League in May.
CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table (after 11 games): Canada 25pts (+14 goal difference), USA 21pts (+9), Mexico 21pts (+6), Panama 17pts (+1), Costa Rica 16pts (+1), El Salvador 9pts (-7), Jamaica 7pts (-8), Honduras 3pts (-17)
Jamaica’s remaining matches
El Salvador (h) 24 March, Canada (a) 27 March , Honduras (h) 30 March
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