Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz Miss Out on Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup Spot After Draw with Guatemala

Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz faced disappointment on Sunday night as they played to a 1-1 draw against Guatemala in the final match of Group B of League A qualification at Guatemala City’s Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores.

This result dashes Jamaica’s hopes of participating in the inaugural Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup, scheduled to take place between February 17 and March 10, 2024, in the United States.

The intense match saw Guatemala breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute when Ana Martinez was brought down in the Jamaica penalty area.

Martinez confidently converted from the spot, handing the home side a crucial 1-0 lead. Despite Jamaica’s early efforts, the first half also witnessed a spectacular long-range attempt from Guatemala’s Andrea Alvarez, testing Jamaican goalkeeper Serena Mensah, who made a leaping save to deny the goal.

Jamaica, in a bid to stay in contention for Gold Cup qualification, fought back in the second half.

A mix-up between Guatemalan defenders presented an opportunity for Davia Richards, who seized the moment and scored in the 66th minute, levelling the score at 1-1.

However, despite their efforts, the Reggae Girlz were unable to break down Guatemala’s resolute defense for the remainder of the match.

The draw meant that Panama secured the top spot in the three-team group, clinching qualification for the Women’s Gold Cup group stage.

Guatemala, finishing in second place, will progress to the Prelims, while Jamaica concluded their campaign in third place, missing out on both automatic qualification and a place in the Gold Cup Prelims.

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