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Jamaica, which surprised at the World Cup, can reach the quarter-finals when it meets Colombia in the quarter-finals on Tuesday. Already the place in the playoffs is historic, the country’s first in the World Cup.
Just a few months ago, however, Jamaica had to raise money to cover the travel expenses for their World Cup trip.
Among other things, the Jamaican midfielder took responsibility Havana Solau Mum Sanda Phillips-Browerwho launched a campaign called “Reggae girlz rise up”.
So far, the funding campaign has brought the team more than 74,000 dollars, or 67,000 euros. Another campaign brought Jamaica $45,000.
– My mother is a very energetic person. He is a big fan and just stated that he wants to help in any way he can, Solaun said according to AP.
Jamaican goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer has stated that the last few years have been financially difficult. He also added that the team probably wouldn’t be in the games without the support from outside the country’s football association.
One significant factor behind everything has been the artist legend Bob Marley’s with the eldest daughter, Cedella Marley. It is he who has played an important role in the revival of the Jamaican football team twice in the last ten years.
For the first time, the Jamaica Football Association terminated the women’s team in 2008 due to lack of funding. Six years later, in 2014, Cedella’s son brought home a request for funding from the Jamaica Football Association to start operations.
Cedella Marley made phone calls. It turned out to him that, due to union cuts, the Jamaican women’s national soccer team had been virtually non-existent for the previous four years.
Cedella first wondered if it was just a football thing. It wasn’t, because the funding of the men’s team had not been touched.
– People said no to women for no reason. The more I learned about it, the angrier I got, Cedella said for ESPN in 2019.
Cedella immediately took action. He quickly wrote the song Strike Hard for his brothers Damien’s and Steven with to get funding for the team. They were able to collect 300,000 dollars in one year.
Players disappointed with the conditions
The second time the operation ended temporarily in 2016. Then Cedella played a significant role that Hue Menzies took over coaching responsibility. Menzies eventually led Jamaica to the World Cup for the first time in history in 2019.
Today, Jamaica is still struggling financially. Last month, many of the team’s players sent an open letter to the Jamaican federation. They expressed that they were extremely disappointed with the conditions of the World Cup preparations, which they described as inferior.
In its press release, the Jamaican federation admitted that things have not been done perfectly. The union says it is working hard to resolve the players’ concerns.
Represented Jamaica in the 2019 World Cup Chinyelu Asher stated to CNNthat the purpose of the players’ statement was to make the federation take the women’s team more seriously.
According to Asher, the team currently has a contract with the federation, but they still had to release a statement to ensure they get the best possible support for the World Cup.
Change inspires
However, Cedella Marley, who twice lifted Jamaica’s swamp, has watched with enthusiasm how attitudes towards women playing football have changed.
Marley commented to CNN how women who play soccer have long been told in Jamaica that they are not important.
– ‘You don’t make money, you don’t bring viewers. You don’t do that, you don’t do this’. “Nobody wanted to give out co-op deals because it’s a women’s team,” Marley said.
– It’s funny to see how all this has changed dramatically. Not only among our women, but all over the world. And that gets me excited.
Jamaica will face Colombia in the quarterfinals starting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Watch the live broadcast at this link.