Barnes - File

Former Reggae Boyz head coach John Barnes has urged the national senior men's team to fully focus their efforts on advancing from their Group A first-round qualifiers before setting their sights on the World Cup finals in Brazil in 2014.

Barnes, who steered Jamaica to the Digicel Caribbean Cup title in 2009, said the Reggae Boyz must improve on their overall performance in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

"Rather than thinking now about qualifying for the World Cup, they have to take it stage by stage, and I would expect them to go through to the next phase of the competition," said Barnes, a former England and Liverpool player.

goal difference

The Reggae Boyz are currently second in their Group A CONCACAF qualifiers with four points, the same as the United States who lead the standings on goal difference. Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda are third and fourth, respectively, on a point each.

"I think that the Antigua result was not a particularly good one because they would have expected to beat Antigua both home and away," Barnes, a former St George's College student, said.

The 48-year-old Barnes, who left the Reggae Boyz coaching job after less than a year in the post, added that he was surprised by the Jamaicans' 0-0 draw against Antigua and Barbuda in their last game.

"Jamaica drawing with Antigua (and Barbuda) is a bit of a setback, but I am sure that they are going to go to Guatemala and get a positive result because if they beat Guatemala away, then they are into the next phase of the competition," said Barnes.

The Theodore Whitmore-coached Reggae Boyz will next oppose USA on September 7 at the National Stadium. Both teams will clash in the return game four days later. The Jamaicans will then play away to the Guatemalans on October 12 before closing their fixtures against Antigua and Barbuda at home four days later.