Women's World Cup: Jamaica Women's Team Profile

Jamaica Women had a baptism of fire at their first World Cup appearance in France in 2019 and they will be hoping to build on that experience after qualifying for the 2023 finals.

The Reggae Girlz suffered heavy defeats in all three of their 2019 group fixtures and they face another tough test in Group F alongside France, Brazil and Panama.

Jamaica are 11/2 to qualify from the section but, with prolific Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw leading the line, they should be confident of causing problems for opposition defences.
 

Jamaica's World Cup record:

After five unsuccessful Women's World Cup qualifying campaigns, Jamaica finally made it to the tournament in 2019.

They lost 6-0 to the USA in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament but beat Panama 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the third-place play-off to clinch their place at the World Cup in France.

Jamaica lost their first match 3-0 to Brazil, whose forward Cristiane scored a hat-trick, and their second game ended in a 5-0 defeat to Italy, with Cristiana Girelli scoring three of the goals.

There was no respite for the Jamaican defence on matchday three as Australia's star striker Sam Kerr scored four times in a 4-1 victory, although Reggae Girlz substitute Havana Solaun claimed her nation's first World Cup goal early in the second half.
 

How Jamaica qualified:

After topping their group at the CONCACAF W Championship qualification competition in February 2022, Jamaica advanced to the finals of that tournament.

They beat Haiti and Mexico to finish second in Group A, behind a powerful USA side, before losing 3-0 to Canada in the semi-finals.

As they had done in the 2019 qualifying competition, Jamaica came through a tense third-place play-off to seal their place at the World Cup. After a goalless 90 minutes against Costa Rica, Kiki van Zanten scored the decisive goal in the first half of extra-time and the Reggae Girlz held on for a 1-0 victory.  
 

The Manager - Lorne Donaldson:

Veteran coach Lorne Donaldson was educated in Kingston, Jamaica and had a long playing career in the USA during the 1980s and 1990s.

He was inducted into the Metropolitan State University of Denver Hall of Fame in 1995 and started his coaching career in men's football in Colorado before being appointed manager of the Jamaica's women's national team in June 2022, succeeding interim boss Vin Blaine.
 

Confirmed Jamaica squad:

Jamaica are yet to confirm their squad for the Women's World Cup. Here are the 24 players who have been selected for the provisional squad:

Goalkeepers: Rebecca Spencer, Sydney Schneider, Liya Brooks.

Defenders: Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Konya Plummer, Deneisha Blackwood, Satara Murray, Vyan Sampson, Tiernny Wiltshire.

Midfielders: Peyton McNamara, Drew Spence, Trudi Carter, Solai Washington, Giselle Washington, Rachel Jones, Atlanta Primus.

Forwards: Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown, Tiffany Cameron, Kameron Simmonds, Kiki van Zanten, Mikayla Dayes, Paige Bailey-Gayle.
 

Jamaica's Key Players:

Nine members of Jamaica's 2019 World Cup squad have been included in the preliminary group for the 2023 finals in Australia and New Zealand including the Swaby sisters, Allyson and Chantelle.

Captain Shaw is the undoubted star for the Reggae Girlz and she comes into the World Cup after a brilliant season for Manchester City in the Women's Super League. 

Only Aston Villa's Rachel Daly scored more goals than Shaw's 20 in the English top flight and in May, the Jamaica striker, nicknamed Bunny, became the first woman from the Caribbean to win the CONCACAF Player of the Year award.

Shaw, who has scored 56 goals in just 38 international appearances, is not the only Jamaican player based in the WSL as Tottenham goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer and her Spurs teammate Drew Spence are also in the squad.

Crystal Palace forward Paige Bailey-Gayle is another WSL representative and centre-back Allyson Swaby spent four years at Roma before a six-month loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain this year.

Jody Brown, a 21-year-old forward who plays for the Florida State Seminoles, has made a promising start to her international career and is already the second-highest goalscorer in the squad behind Shaw.

Brown was Jamaica's leading scorer in qualifying for the 2019 World Cup and went to the finals at the age of just 17. Four years on, she and her teammates will be aiming to impress in their second crack at the World Cup. 
 

Jamaica's Group fixtures

Group F:
France v Jamaica, Sydney, 23rd July 2023
Panama v Jamaica, Perth, 29th July 2023
Jamaica v Brazil, Melbourne, 2nd August 2023