International friendly against Mexico Reggae Girlz seek further improvements

Reggae Girlz head coach Hubert Busby says Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz are looking to make further improvements when they face Mexico in their second international football friendly tomorrow, as they continue preparations for next month’s decisive Concacaf W Championship.

The Girlz will face Mexico today in their second meeting at Estadio La Corregidora, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. Jamaica time.

Busby said they will enter the encounter encouraged by their performance in the opening match, but insists there is still work to be done before they turn their attention to the World Cup qualifying campaign.

The two friendlies form part of Jamaica’s preparation for the Concacaf W Championship, where the team will be seeking to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

They will face off against Costa Rica in the Concacaf W Championship in November, knowing a win will confirm their spot in the 2027 World Cup.

“Preparation for the match has gone well. We arrived in Querétaro on Saturday afternoon from Aguascalientes. So the players, we’ve had two days of training, and so far it’s been good,” Busby said.

“No real injuries to report,” he added. “Spirits are high, naturally, and we’re looking forward to the match [today].”

Full assessment

The second friendly will give Jamaica another opportunity to measure their progress against the Mexicans, who have invested heavily in the development of women’s football through their domestic league and national programme.

Busby said the coaching staff will use today’s match to assess the squad before beginning a more detailed review of the team’s readiness for the upcoming qualifying campaign.

“The minute this series is completed, we will reconvene as a staff, more than likely early next week, to obviously give a little bit of time for the staff to decompress and reflect,” he said.

“You know, review some film and ... continue to review the players as they head back into their environments.”

Greater clarity

Busby expects the next two to three weeks to provide greater clarity on the personnel who will be selected for the crucial assignment against Costa Rica.

He also expressed confidence in the wider player pool, noting that a core group of between 30 and 40 players remains under consideration for national team duty.

Busby said he is looking forward to seeing how the team develops over the next six weeks as Jamaica work towards the tournament.

“Once that is completed, we’ll look forward to the games in November and not just the games but, obviously, the W Championship as a whole,” he said.