In preparation for the Concacaf Under-17 Men’s Qualifiers set to kick off in February 2025, the U17 Reggae Boyz have accepted an invitation from the Mexican Football Federation to compete in next month’s Torneo del Sol.
The competition is slated to run from January 6 through to January 11 in Mexico and will involve the Mexican U17 squad as well as other invited national teams from Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Panama.
The Boyz have been drawn in Group C of the tournament alongside the Liga Premier Team, Bajio Selection and Norte Selection.
Speaking on the upcoming tournament, Reggae Boyz U17 head coach Altimont ‘Freddie’ Butler said the tournament will prove as the final step towards the team’s preparation for qualification to the 2025 FIFA Men’s U17 World Cup.
“This tournament provides the perfect platform for us to compete against top-level national teams, which is crucial as we approach the final stretch of preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers,” Butler said.
“Playing at this level will allow us to assess our players in a high-pressure environment and make the necessary adjustments as we fine-tune our squad.”
Jamaica have been drawn in the Group H of the Concacaf Qualifiers alongside Central American opponents El Salvador and Caribbean neighbours St Lucia and the Cayman Islands.
The qualifiers will be held in Guatemala with the winners of the group advancing to the U17 World Cup.
Butler and his coaching staff have been hosting a series of local and international camps with shortlisted players in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers.
They recently called a close to their local Christmas camp where they played a series of games against local teams.
Assistant coach Vassell Reynolds said the preparations have been going well as they seek to improve on the team’s consistency in play.
“I think overall it has been pretty good so far,” Reynolds stated. “I think we’re making some strides. Clearly we need to work a little bit more on our consistency of play in both phases of the game, in possession and out of possession.
“The fundamental aim of this camp was to mimic what the schedule would be like in Guatemala. We got in three games and a couple of training sessions in between. The fundamental goal was to improve our consistency in the different phases of the game and get in some good performances,” he added.
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts expressed his gratitude to the Mexican Football Federation for the invitation.
He believes it will play a crucial role in the JFF’s goal of increasing the global competitiveness of his youth teams.
“We are grateful to the Mexican Federation for this invitation,” Ricketts said. “This is testament to the respect Jamaica’s football commands on the international stage. Our young players will gain invaluable experience from this tournament, which is vital to their growth and readiness for the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.”
gregory. bryce@gleanerjm.com
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