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Mission accomplished, says Speid
October 07, 2026
Reggae Boyz interim head coach Rudolph Speid believes Jamaica achieved some of its main objectives during the 2026 Concacaf Nations League campaign after securing qualification for the quarter-finals while giving several young players valuable international experience.
Jamaica advanced to the knockout stage after Monday’s 1-1 draw with Honduras at the Chelato Ucles National Stadium, finishing second in Group B on seven points.
While the Boyz were unable to hold on to their lead after Tyreece Campbell’s 27th-minute opener, Speid said the result was enough to accomplish what the team set out to do.
“Maybe [we deserved the win], but we did what we set out to do, which was qualify for the next round,” Speid said during the post-match press conference.
Jamaica will now face Mexico in a two-legged quarter-final tie in November, with the winner automatically qualifying for the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup.
For Speid, however, the importance of the campaign extended beyond qualification, as Jamaica used the four-match series to assess a number of players who could form part of the national programme going forward.
“Six or seven players played their first game for Jamaica in this series of games,” he said.
“We were able to look at about 25 players over the four matches and it will form the basis of our squad going forward. We have been able to see all the players play in top-level competition games.”
Speid believes the experience gained by the younger players will also prove important as Jamaica looks towards the next cycle, including preparations for the 2030 World Cup.
He pointed to the likes of Toronto FC’s Jahmarie Nolan and Waterhouse’s Jamone Lyle who picked up crucial senior minutes.
Nolan also capped his international debut with an assist in Jamaica’s win over El Salvador.
“They were very young, 16 or 17-year-olds. It’s very good for the future of Jamaica and to qualify for the 2030 World Cup,” he said.
SERIES OF CHANGES
Speid said Monday’s draw against Honduras was a game of two halves, as Jamaica created several opportunities in the first half on the counterattack, while Honduras took charge in the second.
He explained that, when Honduras increased the pressure in the closing stages, he made a series of changes further adjustments to protect the point Jamaica needed.
“Honduras were really putting a lot of pressure on us, so I really wanted to stem the tide,” Speid said.
“I thought the first half belonged to us. The second half probably belonged to them.”
With the quarter-finals now secured, Jamaica will have to turn their attention to a two-legged battle against Mexico, with a place in the Gold Cup and continued momentum towards the next World Cup cycle at stake.
The winners of the quarter-final tie will automatically qualify for the Gold Cup, while the losers will have to go through the Gold Cup qualifiers.
This will be Jamaica’s third straight appearance in the Nations League quarter-finals, with the country’s best result coming in 2024 when they won the bronze medal.
