(CMR) The Reggae Girlz will be playing in their first-ever world finals in France next summer, the same country that the Jamaican men's national team competed in their first-ever World Cup in 1998.
As fate would have it, their qualification comes on the 20th anniversary of the men's team reaching their first World Cup, in 1998 – also held in France.
17 October 2018: That will be a date which will have a special place of significance in Jamaican football history forever. The Reggae Girlz became the first Caribbean nation to qualify for a senior Women’s World Cup on that date, defeating Panama 4-2 on penalties after an extra-time 2-2 draw in the match for third place at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship, the region’s qualifying tournament for France 2019.
Casual observers would have seen the penalty shootout and the resulting celebrations from the women in the yellow jerseys and perhaps thought it was just another team winning a penalty shootout. But it was far more than that.
Let Jamaica head coach Hue Menzies give some context to the moment.
“I'm telling you the amount of sacrifices we've made – the staff, the players – for the country, we're going to change the culture back home,”
Menzies said. “How they perceive women, it's changed.
“It’s a big sacrifice. And you know what? Those 20 girls decided they were going to make the change. It’s amazing right now. Not too many words can be said.
“This is way more than football,” Menzies continued. “Big up to Cedella Marley for putting the neck on the line for us. The thank-yous can’t stop. The sacrifices will still keep plugging, the adversities will always be there, but I’m telling you it’s a lot more than football. This is just a statement. We’re going to go back home and celebrate. There’s not a whole lot of space on that island, but we’re going to find every inch to celebrate on because it’s history.”
Cedella Marley – the first-born daughter of Bob – who the Reggae Girlz have to thank for this victory. In 2010, their team ceased to exist, only for Marley to come on board four years later as an ambassador and sponsor with the Bob Marley Foundation and help turn their fortunes around.
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