For the first time, Jamaican women have qualified for the knockout round of a World Cup. The joy about this is enormous, because the success was not foreseeable – the problems in the run-up to the finals seemed insurmountable.
In the end, Jamaica’s draw with Brazil was enough to qualify for the last 16 and seal the exit of one of the tournament favourites. The Seleçao, like Germany, are heading home surprisingly early, while there are celebrations in the Caribbean. “So proud. Three games played. Not a single goal conceded,” Cedella Marley, daughter of music icon Bob Marley, wrote on social media, quoting her famous father: “Football is freedom”.
This is also the name of an initiative Cedella Marley launched two years ago to promote women’s football in the Caribbean and Latin America. Marley is very committed to women’s football and also supports the “Reggae Girlz” financially, which was sorely needed as the women’s team was once almost disbanded due to underfunding.
“Proud”, “historic”, “the best in the world “
There are no such worries after the success in Australia, rather the joy prevails – and many a politician or politician want to have some of the glamour of the success. Culture and Sport Minister Olivia Grange spoke of the “proudest moment in Jamaica’s football history”, while Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote via Twitter: “Historic!”, “Jamaica! Best in the world!”
Meanwhile, from the federation side, it said, “Literally tears in our eyes as we post this!” and “Pure joy!”
So it’s all sunshine in Jamaica? Probably not, because just before the tournament started there had been a lot of fuss after the team had complained about glaring deficiencies in an open letter. Concerns about inadequacies in “planning, transport, accommodation, training conditions, compensation, communication, nutrition and accessibility of appropriate resources” had been ignored on several occasions.
Also, contractually agreed compensation had not been received, while several official friendly matches before the World Cup had to be cancelled due to “extreme disorganisation”. At the time, the association said succinctly: “We recognise that things have not been done perfectly and we are working hard to resolve this. “
Crowdfunding and lack of appreciation
The seriousness of the situation is shown by the fact that the mother of midfielder Havana Solaun raised money via a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs of the trip to the World Cup – the target was 100,000 US dollars, about half of which was raised. Cedella Marley also raised money and recorded the song “Strike Hard” with her brothers Damian and Stephen. Thanks to the support of equipment supplier Adidas, it was also possible to organise a training camp at Ajax Amsterdam.
Goalkeeper Becky Spencer said the players lacked appreciation from the federation and that the team had “something to prove”. “Given the noise around us and the lack of games we had before the tournament, I don’t think anyone took us seriously,” said the 32-year-old from Tottenham Hotspur, who also revealed that “a real sense of togetherness” had developed as a result.
The team felt “like a family. We are resilient.” And against all odds, they fought and are now succeeding. “The better we do, the more pressure” on the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Spencer said firmly, adding, “We hope they take us seriously now, which they should have done in the first place, and that they can give us what we deserve.”
In any case, next Tuesday’s match against Colombia will be about advancing to the last eight.
