KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC-Jamaica’s football chief, Captain Horace Burrell, has warned that the country’s expulsion from the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign would have “consequences” but has declined to elaborate.
Jamaica’s Russia campaign ended with a two-nil drubbing at the hands of Panama at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez on Friday.
“I’m not going to be specific at this time because there are legal ramifications as well,” said Burrell, the President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
“But my point is, we should have done better with the quality at our disposal. If we did not have the quality, then that’d be a different matter.”
Burrell’s comments could fuel speculation over the future of Winfried Schaefer, head coach of the Reggae Boyz.
Schaefer, whose contract goes up until 2018, has indicated that he has no intension of stepping down as a result of Jamaica’s loss to Panama.
Needing a positive result to remain alive in the CONCACAF fourth round qualifiers, Jamaica conceded a goal in either half to slip to a 2-0 defeat – their second to Panama and their third in five outings.
“What we’re saying here is it cannot be business as usual, it cannot be,” said Burrell.
“When performances like we have seen have gone the way that we’ve seen around the world, there are consequences, and therefore we’re in no different position than in other countries and therefore very soon, we will await the report from the technical committee and then we’ll move on from there.”
The Jamaicans started confidently against Panama but was set back by a Gabriel Torres strike in the 28th minute and although they pushed for an equalizer, their fate was sealed by an injury time goal from Abdiel Arroy.
“Very, very, very disappointed; indeed,” Burrell told The Gleaner.
“In fact, given the talent pool, there’s no way we should not have reached the last six, and that disturbs me and our football federation”.
