JAMAICA NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
FIFA RANKING: 45
GOVERNING BODY:-
Jamaica Football Federation
HOME STADIUM:-
Independence Park, Kingston
COACH:-
Theodore Whitmore
CAPTAIN:-
Adrian Mariappa
MOST CAPPED PLAYER:-
Ian Goodison (128 appearances)
TOP SCORER:-
Luton Shelton (35 goals)
NICKNAMES:-
Reggae Boyz
WORLD CUP:-
Appearances: 1
Best Result: Group stage (1998)
CONCACAF Gold Cup:-
Appearances: 13
Best result: Runners-up (2015, 2017)
The Jamaica national football team, nicknamed the “Reggae Boyz”, represents Jamaica in international football.
The team’s first match was against Haiti in 1925. The squad is under the supervising body of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), which is a member of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and the global jurisdiction of FIFA.
Jamaica’s home matches have been played at Independence Park since its opening in 1962.
Their sole appearance in the FIFA World Cup was in 1998, where the team finished third in its group and failed to advance.
The team also competed in the Caribbean Cup-winning six times. Jamaica also competes in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, appearing thirteen times and finishing twice as runners-up to Mexico in 2015 and the United States in 2017.
They were also invited to the Copa América in 2015 and 2016, being eliminated in the group stage on both occasions.
Football in Jamaica
Football is one of the most popular sports in Jamaica.
It was introduced to the country by the British and quickly took hold. Other important sports in Jamaica include cricket, track and field, and for women, netball.
Jamaican football league system
The Jamaican football league system is the national football competition system in Jamaica. It is organized by the Jamaica Football Federation.
The Jamaica National Premier League is the top-flight of football in Jamaica.
Below this, the clubs are separated on geographical grounds. Dependent on which parish a club is located in, it is a member of a specific confederation.
- Clubs from the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew are members of the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA).
- Clubs from the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, St. Catherine and St. Elizabeth are members of the South Central Confederation.
- Clubs from the parishes of Portland, St. Ann, St. Mary and St. Thomas are members of the Eastern Confederation.
- Clubs from the parishes of Hanover, St. James, Trelawny and Westmoreland are members of the Western Confederation.
Each of these four confederations operates its own Super League and they represent the second level of Jamaican football.
The names of these four Super Leagues are:
- KSAFA Super League
- South Central Confederation Super League
- Eastern Confederation Super League
- Western Confederation Super League
The winners of these leagues play off against each other, home and away, with the top two teams replacing the bottom two teams relegated from the Premier League.
Teams relegated from the Premier League enter the Super League of the Confederation they belong to.
The third level of Jamaican football is organised by the parish football associations.
In the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, KSAFA has a third level league called the KSAFA Major League.
For the remaining 12 parishes, the third level of football is represented by a major league competition in each parish organised by the parish FA to give 13 third level leagues.
The champions of each parish are promoted to play in the Super League of the Confederation by right or by way of winning a playoff against another parish champion in the same confederation.
At the fourth level of Jamaican football, KSAFA is represented by the KSAFA Syd Bartlett League. The other parishes have a Division One league to give 13 fourth Level leagues.
Some parishes operate leagues at the fifth level.
Promotion and relegation rules between leagues can vary due to the geographic nature of the league system.
Level 1 – Jamaica National Premier League
The National Premier League, also known for sponsorship purposes as the Red Stripe Premier League, is the top division for men’s football in Jamaica.
Contested between 12 clubs, the two lowest placed teams are relegated to their corresponding local second division league.
The National Premier League was formed in 1973 to serve as the top tier of Jamaican professional club football.
13 different clubs have been crowned champions of Jamaica. With Portmore United being the most successful team with 7 national titles.
To date, the league has produced four Caribbean champions: Portmore United (2005, 2019) and Harbour View (2004, 2007).
As of the 2020 season, no team from the league has made it past the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League.
The league has been more successful in the new CONCACAF League competition with both Portmore United (2018) and Waterhouse (2019) making it to the quarterfinals.
The competition is divided into three stages, with clubs playing each other once during each stage. Following the third stage (33 matches), the teams are divided into two groups based on point totals and enter the fourth round of league play.
The top six clubs contend for the championship, with the bottom six teams fighting to avoid relegation.
The bottom two finishers are replaced the next season by the top two finishers of the second division regional playoffs.
The top two finishers in a given season qualify for the CFU Club Championship, a regional club tournament held each spring.
A top-four finish in the CFU Club Championship is the only route for Jamaican teams to enter the CONCACAF Champions League and the CONCACAF League.
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF.
The winner of the CONCACAF Champions League automatically qualifies for the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The tournament currently uses a knockout format, though the tournament had a group stage prior to the 2018 tournament.
Unlike its European and South American counterparts, the winners of the CONCACAF Champions League do not automatically qualify for the following season’s competition.
The competition was originally known as the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup when it was first organized in 1962.
The title has been won by 28 clubs, 13 of which have won the title more than once.
Mexican clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories, with 36 titles in total. The second most successful league has been Costa Rica’s Primera División with six titles in total.
Mexican side Club América are the most successful club in the competition’s history with seven titles, followed by fellow Mexican-side Cruz Azul with six titles.
The most successful non-Mexican club is Saprissa of Costa Rica with three titles.
The only four teams to successfully defend the trophy are all Mexican: América, Cruz Azul, Pachuca and Monterrey.
CONCACAF League
The CONCACAF League is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. It was announced on 8 May 2017 as the second-tier competition of CONCACAF.
The competition uses a knockout cup format with each round having two legs. The top six teams in the competition proceed to the CONCACAF Champions League.
Since 2019 the tournament has featured 22 teams, an increase from 16 in the 2017 and 2018 editions.
The competition will end after the 2022 edition due to the expansion of the CONCACAF Champions League to 50 clubs starting with the 2023–24 CONCACAF Champions League.
Two regional cup competitions for teams from Central America and the Caribbean will be created as qualifying competitions of the CONCACAF Champions League, in addition to direct qualification through their domestic leagues.
Level 2 – KSAFA Super League, South Central Confederation Super League, Eastern Confederation Super League, Western Confederation Super League
KSAFA Super League
The KSAFA Super League is a second division football league in the nation of Jamaica. The twelve teams that currently compete in the league are based in the parishes of St. Andrew and Kingston.
At the end of each season, the winners qualify for the National Premier League Playoff along with the winners of the South Central Confederation Super League, Eastern Confederation Super League and Western Confederation Super League.
These four teams play each other, home and away, with the top two teams from this playoff being promoted to the Jamaica National Premier League.
The bottom two teams are relegated to the KSAFA Major League.
Western Confederation Super League
The Captain’s Bakery Western Confederation Super League is a second division football league in the nation of Jamaica.
The twelve teams that currently compete in the league are based in the parishes of Hanover, St. James, Trelawny and Westmoreland.
At the end of each season, the winners qualify for the National Premier League Playoff along with the winners of the KSAFA Super League, South Central Confederation Super League and Eastern Confederation Super League.
These four teams play each other, home and away, with the top two teams from this playoff being promoted to the Jamaica National Premier League.
Eastern Confederation Super League
The Eastern Confederation Super League is a second division football league in the nation of Jamaica.
The ten teams that currently compete in the league are based in the parishes of Portland, St. Ann, St. Mary and St. Thomas.
At the end of each season, the winners qualify for the National Premier League Playoff along with the winners of the KSAFA Super League, South Central Confederation Super League and Western Confederation Super League.
These four teams play each other, home and away, with the top two teams from this playoff being promoted to the Jamaica National Premier League.
For the 2012 season, the confederation was abolished, with all teams reverting to their respective parish leagues.
South Central Confederation Super League
The South Central Confederation Super League is a second division football league in the nation of Jamaica.
The twelve teams that currently compete in the league are based in the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, St. Catherine and St. Elizabeth.
At the end of each season, the winners qualify for the National Premier League Playoff along with the winners of the KSAFA Super League, Eastern Confederation Super League and Western Confederation Super League.
These four teams play each other, home and away, with the top two teams from this playoff being promoted to the Jamaica National Premier League.
Level 3
KSAFA Major League
The KSAFA Major League is a third-division football league in Jamaica.
The twelve teams that compete in the league are based in the parishes of St. Andrew and Kingston.
At the end of each season, the top two teams are promoted to the KSAFA Super League.
The bottom two teams are relegated to the KSAFA Syd Bartlett League.
Clarendon Major League
10 clubs
Manchester Major League
7 clubs
St. Catherine Major League
12 clubs
St. Elizabeth Major League
12 clubs
Portland Major League
7 clubs
St. Ann Major League
11 clubs
St. Mary Major League
8 clubs
St. Thomas Major League
10 clubs
Hanover Major League
10 clubs
St. James Senior League
12 clubs
Trelawny Major League
12 clubs
Westmoreland Major League
12 clubs
Level 4
KSAFA Syd Bartlett League
The KSAFA Syd Bartlett League is a fourth division football league in the nation of Jamaica.
The eleven teams that currently compete in the league are based in the parishes of St. Andrew and Kingston.
At the end of each season, the top two teams are promoted to the KSAFA Major League.
The league is named in honour of Syd Bartlett.