Norwich City’s Loza joins Reggae Boyz band
LONDON, England — Norwich City youngster Jamar Loza strolled into the Marriott Hotel Waltham Abbey in Essex last evening to join the Reggae Boyz squad ahead of their remaining two friendly internationals on this glamour four-match tour.
Loza, the 20-year-old who hails from the Arnett Gardens community in Kingston, will be one of three additions to the squad, which lost five players yesterday, following their 1-0 loss to World Cup-bound Switzerland at the Swissporarena, Luzern, home of FC Luzern on Friday night.
Goalkeeper Ryan Thompson, who now plays in the lower tier American league, and Montego Bay striker Dino Williams are slated to arrive in London today. They will replace goalkeepers Andre Blake, who had been brilliant in the two games thus far, and Dwayne Miller, as well as Demar Phillips, Darren Mattocks and Keithy Simpson, all due to club commitments.
Loza, who migrated to England at age six, has been a member of the Norwich City youth system since age 15. Two seasons ago he notched 13 goals in 30 appearances for the Norwich City Under-21s, and this past football year he was loaned out three times — to Coventry City, where he made one appearance, and Leyton Orient from January to March, in League One, and Southend in League Two, from March to April, where he scored on debut.
He was recalled by his parent club towards the end of the season, and duly made his Barclays Premier League debut in their final match of the season, a 0-2 loss to Arsenal.
He’s hoping to be a significant contributor to his club team as they seek to regain their place in Britain’s elite level competition.
Meanwhile, the Jamaican contingent arrived at the Heathrow Airport in London from Switzerland just before midday yesterday, and after a delay with their bus, made the near one-hour ride to Essex. They were given the day off to rest, but head coach Winfried Schaefer held a team meeting in the evening.
They are expected to practise at the West Ham United FC Training Ground today ahead of Wednesday’s 8:00 pm (2:00 pm Jamaica time) kick-off against Egypt at the 9,000-capacity Matchroom Stadium, home of Leyton Orient.
The Boyz have lost both friendly internationals thus far on this tour, 1-2 to Serbia at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey last Monday, and Friday’s 0-1 defeat against Switzerland.
Egypt led Chile 2-0 in first-half action but succumbed 2-3 in the Central American country on Friday night.
They are expected in London on Tuesday.
The 17-man Jamaican squad reads Jacomeno Barrett, Wes Morgan, Adrian Mariappa, Lloyd Doyley, Kemar Lawrence, Rodolph Austin, Joel Grant, Nicholas Beckett, Simon Dawkins, Michael Seaton, Loza, Romario Campbell, Christopher Humphrey, Upstan Edwards, John-Ross Edwards, Nicholy Finlayson, Hughan Gray.