Khadija ‘Energiser Bunny’ Shaw wants to keep going and going…
CATHERINE HALL, St James — Jamaica’s inspirational midfielder and team captain Khadija ‘Energiser Bunny’ Shaw is easily one of the biggest and most intimidating players on the field in any Under-17 women’s game.
But as fearsome as she comes by reputation and size, the towering player concedes that she’s only human.
“I am very tired and my legs are still shaking even right now,” she told the Jamaica Observer after Sunday’s historic 1-1 draw against Mexico that saw the Young Reggae Girlz clinch Group A honours in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship on in earnest in Montego Bay.
“I came straight from the Under-20 and I was tired even then,” said Shaw, who was voted MVP of the CFU Under-20 tournament that Jamaica won recently in Kingston.
Shaw and a number of her Under-17 teammates have played eight games in just under two weeks and the physical toll on them was evident throughout the tournament.
But the St Jago High student, who just turned 16, is not ready to rest just yet.
“Yes, we are tired, but we have work to do and I am glad I carried my team into the semi-finals here,” she said.
Despite playing at home and in front of a massive crowd at the Montego Bay Sports Complex that cheered their every move, Shaw said they were “a bit nervous at the start”.
“We had never even drawn or beaten Mexico before, but we went out there with our heads high and confident,” said Shaw.
In two previous games against the Central Americans, Jamaica had come out on the wrong end of the scoreline, beaten 6-0 in Trinidad in 2008 and 3-0 in Costa Rica two years later.
A ninth-minute goal from Betzy Cuevas ran the tally to 10 goals for Mexico until Felicia Davidson’s 45th minute equaliser, a spectacular curling corner kick snapped the Mexican’s dominance.
The result left the Jamaicans with renewed confidence and Shaw said all the players were confident going into Thursday’s semi-finals against either the USA or Canada.
“Once we stick to the game plan and go hard at them, we know we will come out successful,” she said with an air of confidence.
