IN THE CROSS HAIRS

Captain Khadija Shaw (left) moves away from Solai Washington during Jamaica Women’s football training session at the National Stadium on Thursday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) Football, Sports Ruddy Allen | Sports Writer April 10, 2026

In The Cross Hairs

Reggae Girlz aim to take care of business vs Antigua in qualifiers Electric energy is expected to crackle throughout the National Stadium as Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz prepare to unleash their full fury on Antigua and Barbuda this evening at 7:00 pm, a fortress showdown that promises to send shockwaves through the Concacaf Women’s Qualifiers. The Reggae Girlz lead Group B on maximum six points from two games, the same as Nicaragua and Guyana. Both Nicaragua and Guyana have played three games.

Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica are without a point from two games. The winner of each group will advance to the Concacaf Women’s Championship later this year. Head coach Hubert Busby and his team are determined to make the most of playing on home soil, and they’re focused on delivering a strong performance in front of their fans.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been on home soil, and it’s great to be back in Jamaica as a group. We want to make sure we get the result and do well in front of our own people. I know the camp has been good thus far and obviously looking forward to the match,” Busby said.

But Busby said he is not letting his team get too caught up in the excitement.

He said that every game in the World Cup Qualifiers is crucial, and this one against Antigua and Barbuda is no exception.

“Look, at the end of the day, it’s World Cup Qualifiers, and we all know what that means. We all know in reality everybody needs to win those matches. We understand the significance of winning those matches, and it’s been difficult.

“Went through a tough one on the road in Nicaragua, but at the end of the day, we wanted to make sure that everyone as a group focused on the task at hand. We got the points that we needed,” the head coach explained. Now, against Antigua, a team that had been officially eliminated from the competition, Busby warned his team not to underestimate their opponents.

“The next game for us really is the focus on Antigua. We know that they’ve been officially eliminated, and so that comes with a different sort of challenge. The reality is that they can maybe play with a little bit more freedom than they did before, that pressure is off for them.

“We’re speaking now of what it means to be hunted, slightly different from being the hunter for the last couple of years. So that comes with a different challenge as well, and so we have to be prepared for that,” Busby noted. As the team prepares to take the field, Busby’s message is very clear – they need to stay focused and take care of business.

“Overall we are going to take one game at a time. We’ll deal with Antigua, turn the page, take the learnings, finding from that, and then move on to the Guyana match but right now our sole focus is dealing on what we need to do and take care of Antigua,” he said. The Reggae Girlz will take the field without their star striker Jody Brown who won’t be donning the Jamaican jersey against Antigua and Barbuda because she has been ruled out, as a precautionary measure, by her club.

Busby expressed disappointment but praised the decision, citing Brown’s long-term prospects, and expressed confidence in his team’s depth to fill the void.

“She was coming off injury, got herself healthy, and the club deemed that they wanted to keep her back for more precautionary reasons… I know she was definitely gutted not to be coming back home, for sure, but in the long term and in her best interest, that’s what was needed for her to get ready.

“She will be missed, but when she is not there another opportunity comes along and we have a deep pool of players and we have no doubt that someone will take that mantle along and do very well at this camp,” Busby said. Chantelle Swaby is on the cusp of making history with the Reggae Girlz, poised to become the first player to earn 50 caps for Jamaica.

“I am definitely feeling excited for the game. It’s really exciting to be back home, back in front of the fans, and having a really good group of girls here with us and being able to get us through the next round. I am really excited about the game,” she said.

Members of Jamaica’s senior women’s football team train at the National Stadium on Thursday ahead of the Concacaf Women’s Qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda on Friday. Head Coach Hubert Busby presents Reggae Girl Chantelle Swaby with a special jersey at the National Stadium on Thursday, indicating she could make her 50th appearance for Jamaica on Friday. Jamaica Reggae Girlz (from left) Deneisha Blackwood, Solai Washington, and Tianna Harris train at the National Stadium on Thursday.

(Photos: Garfield Robinson)