Jamaica book Congo DR date
Bailey Cadamarteri struck early to settle a tight Play-Off Tournament tussle with New Caledonia as the Reggae Boyz advance to next week’s Congo DR final.
Path A Guadalajara Stadium, Guadalajara Jamaica goal: Bailey Cadamarteri (18)
Ahead of the Reggae Boyz FIFA Play-Off Tournament tussle with New Caledonia, Rudolph Speid had promised to put the smiles back on Jamaican faces. Having struggled to fully impose themselves on the Oceania underdogs, it’s perhaps not yet a full grin, despite the 1-0 victory setting up a winner-takes-all clash with Congo DR on 31 March.
The son of a former professional and older brother of another, two years ago Bailey Cadamarteri was turning out for the England U-19 side. On this breezy evening in Guadalajara, six months after making his Jamaica debut, he scripted and published the decisive Reggae Boyz goal.
Having drawn the foul that saw Ronaldo Webster drive a free-kick under a quartet of Les Cagous defenders, he raced onto Rocky Nyikeine’s parried save and swept past the scrambling gloveman with barely a quarter of an hour eclipsed.
Parked at 150 on the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, New Caledonia were up against the highest ranked opposition that they had faced outside of Oceania. Twice they came close to long-range levellers in the opening period as Joseph Athale and Georges Gope-Fenepej forced a back-pedalling Andre Blake to stay alert to the dangers that loose possession were presenting.
Jamaica substitute Bobby De Cordova-Reid tried an even more audacious effort on the hour, glancing up, spying Nyikeine off his line and launching a shot from well inside his own half that zipped just over the New Caledonia goal.
An onrushing Webster was then thwarted by the Cagous custodian and De Cordova-Reid spurned another couple of chances before the full-time whistle brought an end to New Caledonia’s wonderful run.
Jamaica will remain in western Mexico for Tuesday’s do-or-die tussle with a Congolese side that will go from the interested observers they were at Guadalajara Stadium to a serious roadblock in the Reggae Boyz' bid to reach a second FIFA World Cup™.
“It was a very tough game, New Caledonia is a good team but we did a good job defending and I’m just happy for the win. We could have scored another couple of goals but we’ll take the win. The next game it doesn’t matter how, we just have to win it, so we’re looking forward to it.” Andre Blake, Jamaica captain
“I thought we were aggressive, pressing and trying to win back the ball as much as possible. I think we put some smiles on our supporter’s faces and we know that the next match will be difficult but we’re up for the fight.” Rudolph Speid, Jamaica head coach
“We’re disappointed, of course we are. Frustrated too, because we felt there was something to get from this game. I know a lot of people around the world didn’t believe in us, but we didn’t come here just to make up the numbers. We believed in ourselves, in our own little star. Now it’s up to us to go back home and keep working with our clubs, with no regrets.” Joseph Athale, New Caledonia midfielder