In the game against the USA, Jamaica’s national coach Steve McClaren will have to do without Michail Antonio of West Ham. The striker and another teammate have lost their passports and were therefore unable to enter the country.
The Jamaican national team is playing against the USA in St. Louis on Monday night. It is the quarter-final second leg of the CONCAF Nations League. But after the 1-0 defeat in the first leg, Jamaica has to do without one of its most famous national players in its comeback attempt: West Ham’s Michail Antonio is not among them. The reason is curious.
The striker lost his passport. And he’s not the only one: his teammate Kaheim Dixon was also unable to travel to the United States because he didn’t have a valid ID. “It was too late to get new ones and apply for visas to enter the country. So they will be missing,” said national coach Steve McClaren at a press conference on Sunday.
McClaren remains optimistic
Antonio had already missed the first leg, which the USA won thanks to a goal from former Augsburg player Ricardo Pepi, due to a suspension. Nevertheless, his coach still believes they can advance: “It’ll be a different game. We have optimism and belief,” said the former England manager.
The CONCACAF Nations League is held in parallel with the UEFA-organized Nations League in Europe and includes the football associations of the North American and Caribbean football confederations. After the quarterfinals, the Nations League Finals will take place in March in a final four mode. The US team has won all three editions of the tournament so far.