Burrell dedicates Boyz triumph to people of Jamaica
FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique — President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, has dedicated Sunday night’s Digicel Caribbean Cup triumph to the people of Jamaica.
Jamaica won the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Cup 5-4 on penalties over Guadeloupe after the teams were locked at 1-1 at the end of full and extra time.
Omar Cummings gave Jamaica a 32nd minute lead only for Ludovic Gotin to equalise five minutes later, and despite creating the better scoring chances, Jamaica just could not register another goal.
“I am elated that we have won this tournament and this victory I think is for the Jamaican people,” Captain Burrell told the media at the end of the presentation ceremony.
“I think the Jamaican people deserve this victory and certainly I would think this victory to belong to them.”
The JFF boss added: “I believe this game was one of the hardest games that we’ve played because noticeably we had an unfortunate situation in that in the last game we played, we went into extra time and therefore, to play only the day after in another game to get into extra time was extremely difficult.”
The JFF boss also lauded head coach Theodore Whitmore on his first major success as coach. Whitmore and goalkeeper coach Warren Barrett were winning the Caribbean Cup for the second time, having also won as players in 1998.
“I am not surprised,” Captain Burrell replied when asked about Whitmore’s performance. “Coach Whitmore has demonstrated that he has the wherewithal to become a champion coach. You could say he’s an introvert, who has done extremely well, and I am very pleased of his performance and I think that there is still a lot to come from him. He’s a confident coach, he’s a disciplined coach and he instils that within the players,” added Captain Burrell.
Prior to the playing of the second game against Guadeloupe, the JFF boss was forced to dip into his pocket for US$14,000 to satisfy the financial demands of the players, who had threatened to withhold their services.
The players had demanded US$100 in per diem for the 12-day tour (total US$1,200), plus 80 per cent of whatever the team wins. The Boyz won US$120,000 as the first place prize money, and Caribbean football Union (CFU) president and FIFA vice-president Austin ‘Jack’ Warner revealed that he would pay the JFF the winning prize money within 15 days, instead of the usual 30 days, as s result of the strike action.
However, on Sunday night Catain Burrell steered clear of the matter.
“I have decided not to speak to that now,” he said. “I think this is a time to enjoy the victory. Certainly, we will speak to that at the appropriate time, but right now is a time of celebration, it’s a time for Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora to celebrate this very important victory and it shows that our football is certainly on track.”
Jamaica’s senior footballers’ next major assignment will be next summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, and Captain Burrell is anticipating the playing of a number of friendlies in preparation for that tournament, as well as the 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign.
And with the country now on a high, the JFF boss, who is also the senior vice-president of the CFU, is hoping that the corporate community and government come together to assist the Under-17s, who will play as hosts of the final CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying phase.
The youngsters are set to leave for a three-week camp in Brazil next week, with the CONCACAF phase of the qualifiers will take place next February.