Quartet of Jamaica Debutants Set to Tackle World Cup Qualifying
Reggae Boyz interim boss springs surprises with his 27-player squad for FIFA Inter-Confederation Play-Off Tournament in Mexico.
Sheffield United star Andre Brooks, Tottenham Hotspur prospect Tyrese Hall, Coventry City ace Ephron Mason-Clarke and Mount Pleasant FA goal-getter Dwight Merrick have all been handed the opportunity to make their international debut for Jamaica.
Rudolph Speid named the quartet of emerging talents in his provisional 27-player squad for next week’s do-or-die competition for a World Cup finals berth.
Jamaica will face South Pacific minnows New Caledonia inside the Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico on 26 March (8pm local time kick-off).
African titans DR Congo will play either Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz or New Caledonia in the FIFA Inter-Continental Play-Off Final, with the winner of this fiercely-fought tie progressing to the prestigious 2026 World Cup this summer.
The squad newcomers, aside from Jamaica Premier League hot-shot Merrrick, are English-born. Midfielder Brooks and striker Mason-Clarke are both versatile, so can also be deployed as a winger thanks to their dribbling skills and electric pace.
Attacking midfielder Hall, who made the preliminary 60-player Jamaica squad for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, is on a season-long loan at League Two outfit Notts County from Premier League strugglers Spurs.
Merrick, who primarily plays as a no.10 for table-topping Montego Bay United, has caught Speid’s eye by banging in 10 goals from 24 matches this term.
Kyle Ming, the Mount Pleasant FA defender, was the only other Jamaica Premier League named by Speid. The 64-year-old retains goalkeeper Andre Blake as skipper and defender Damion Lowe as vice-captain.
Speid, elevated into the hot-seat after Reggae Boyz manager Steve McClaren resigned last November, remarkably overlooked the Mount Pleasant FA pair Jahshaun Anglin and Warner Brown for the Mexico trip.
Attacking midfielder Anglin and forward Brown were regularly called up when ex-England boss McClaren was the Jamaica head coach.
No-nonsense Speid, who lifted three Jamaica Premier League titles and the 2024 Caribbean Cup as Cavalier FC head coach, sent out a warning shot at a press conference in January that his selection criteria for the Reggae Boyz would be down to club appearances and form.
The 64-year-old has been dismissive of a plethora of high-profile players with this cull for the trip to Mexico.
He has dropped defender Mason Holgate and veteran striker Michail Antonio, who both ply their trade in Qatar for Al-Sailiya.
Left-backs Rico Henry (Brentford, England) and Greg Leigh (St. Mirren, Scotland) joined striker Rumarn Burrell (QPR, England) among the surprise omissions. The trio were part of Jamaica’s CONCACAF World Cup final round of qualifiers last year.
The FIFA Inter-Continental Play-Off semi-final showdown against the Boyz offers head coach Johann Sidaner the chance to steer his world ranked no.150 New Caledonia team to their maiden World Cup finals.
Yet DR Congo, who will face either Jamaica or New Caledonia inside Estadio Akron on 31 March (8pm local time kick-off), could win the tournament but still fail to qualify for their first World Cup since 1974 when they competed under the name Zaire.
DR Congo beat Nigeria in the CAF World Cup Qualifying Play-Off last November. They won 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 stalemate after extra time.
FIFA has yet to make a decision about Nigeria’s appeal regarding the eligibility of some DR Congo players, who had switched international allegiance. Domestic laws in DR Congo do not recognise dual citizenship for adults.
Depending on the outcome from FIFA, Nigeria could be reinstated by FIFA with more matches played to determine a World Cup slot. Alternatively, Jamaica could be granted a place if they beat New Caledonia, lose to DR Congo and FIFA opt to ban the Central African nation from football’s showpiece tournament this summer.
Jamaica have only competed at one FIFA World Cup, when Brazilian boss Rene Simoes guided them to the France 1998 tournament. They lost 3-1 to Croatia, suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Argentina but beat Japan thanks to a brilliant brace from Theodore Whitmore.
Should the Boyz navigate their way to the 2026 World Cup, they will tackle Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, South American giants Colombia and Uzbekistan in group games. The expanded tournament means that up to three teams from the group can reach the knockout round of 32.
JAMAICA’S FIFA INTER-CONTINENTAL PLAY-OFF SQUAD
Goalkeepers (3) | Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union, USA), Amal Knight (Greenville Triumph, USA) and Jahmali Waite (Tampa Bay Rowdies, USA).
Defenders (8) | Amari’i Bell (Charlton Athletic, England), Ian Fray (Inter Miami, USA), Richard King (St. Mirren, Scotland), Joel Latibeaudiere (Coventry City, England), Damion Lowe (Dewa United Banten, Indonesia), Kyle Ming (Mount Pleasant FA), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford, England) and Ronaldo Webster (KF Shkendija, North Macedonia).
Midfielders (7) | Karoy Anderson (Blackpool, on loan from Charlton Athletic, England), Andre Brooks (Sheffield United, England), Tyrese Hall (Notts County, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, England), Isaac Hayden (QPR, England), Kevon Lambert (Louisville City FC, on loan from Real Salt Lake, USA), Dwight Merrick (Montego Bay United, Jamaica) and Kasey Palmer (Luton Town, England).
Forwards (9) | Leon Bailey (Aston Villa, England), Bailey Cadamarteri (Wrexham, Wales), Norman Campbell (V-Varen Nagasaki, Japan), Tyreece Campbell (Charlton Athletic, England), Renaldo Cephas (FC Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia), Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Leicester City, England), Demarai Gray (Birmingham City, England), Jamal Lowe (Sheffield Wednesday, England) and Ephron Mason-Clark (Coventry City, England).
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