2023 Women’s World Cup: Utter resilience, the Reggae Girlz are impossible to ignore

In 2010, the Jamaica Football Federation cut the women’s football program, 13 years later, the Reggae Girlz are on the brink of the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup. 

10 years ago, this team was merely a thing of the past.

The lack of funding for the team forced the Jamaicans to eliminate the women’s national team. The green and yellow missed the 2011 Women’s World Cup, and the 2012 Olympics in the United Kingdom because of it. Led by the relatives of reggae legend Bob Marley, women’s international football in Jamacia was revived. A year after the team was unranked by FIFA in June 2017, the Reggae Girlz surprised the entirely of CONCACAF.

Led by Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, and youngster Jody Brown, the Jamaicans beat Panama on spot kicks in the third-place playoff match in the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. Even with the qualification for the World Cup in France, the Jamaicans were still treated the same. Even facing consistent issues as in 2019, these Jamaican women have ran through multiple brick walls in 2023 to begin the tournament unbeaten through two matches.

As the seventh poorest country in North America according to World Population Review, the resources among top national teams are simply not there. Some of the stories that the players who have been a part of this national team have shared are consistent with ones from other nations.

Head coach Lorne Donaldson purchased the team rainproof jackets with his own money in 2019, and still today, the federation has backed out on some of the promises it made within contracts. There is a long way to go for most countries in regard to women’s football, but maybe even longer for countries like Jamaica. Due to the generosity of numerous individuals, and the mentality of the players to focus on the task at hand, this team has taken a jump from 2019. The Reggae Girlz Foundation, a nonprofit organization has been at the center of helping to fund this team’s preparation for a run in Australia and New Zealand.

The Jamaican women’s national team missed out on the first seven World Cups, and in its second appearance, the entire world now knows who the Reggae Girlz are. Continuously since they were founded in 1987, the Jamaican Football Federation has slashed funding for women’s programs. Still, the resilience of this country and its women’s national team has it just one win away from the Round of 16 of a Women’s World Cup for the first time ever.

After a remarkably gritty draw against the French to open the tournament, Allyson Swaby scored the winner in the second half against Panama without Shaw to push the team one win away from history. No obstacle seems to be too intimidating for this group of players. FOX Sports moved the Jamacia vs. Brazil match to the main network on August 2 with that match being a win-or-go-home scenario.

Though the Brazilians are considered to be the favorite in that match, the Reggae Girlz have all will power to shock the world of women’s football once again. Led by the defensive grit of Tottenham’s Drew Spence, the Central American side found a way to hold a top European outfit scoreless. It is going to have to be one special display once again from the Jamaicans to pull it off, but recent history says it could be in the cards.

Jamacia is slowly becoming a team to fear going forward in CONCACAF along with the United States and Canada

After bowing out in the CONCACAF W-Championship group stage, Jamacia has finished third in World Cup qualification on two straight occasions. Somehow through all this struggle, this national team is still standing today. Credit to an exceptional group of people, especially the players for keeping their eyes on the task in between the white lines while fighting for what is right off of it. Even with a defeat against Brazil, the hope is, Jamaican football finally takes a noticeable leap in funding following this World Cup. The Reggae Girlz have shown they deserve it.

Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional. That mindset rings through each and every women’s footballer, including this Jamaican women’s football team. Wednesday in Australia, Donaldson’s team fights to reach the final 16.

Catch the Reggae Girlz vs. Marta and Brazil on FOX Sports on Wednesday, August 2 at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (3:00 am EST).