(Reuters) – The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) confirmed on Friday that it has made payments to the members of their Women’s World Cup squad. This move came after the players announced their decision to opt out of two Gold Cup qualifiers in protest against the national governing body.
Last week, the Jamaican women’s team, which made it to the knockout phase for the first time in Australia this year, declared their withdrawal from the Gold Cup qualifiers due to what they described as “constant mistreatment” by the JFF. The players stated that they had not received proper payment for their World Cup performance or bonuses for qualifying.
The JFF responded to these claims by posting a statement on social media, saying, “The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is pleased to advise that, as committed, we have now paid in full balances due to the Women’s World Cup Team.” They also mentioned that they will begin processing payments for all players who participated in the qualifying rounds but did not make it to the final World Cup squad.
The federation expressed gratitude for the contributions made by their players and expressed their satisfaction in settling the outstanding amounts owed to them. Despite the payment dispute, Jamaica suffered a 2-1 defeat against Panama in their Gold Cup qualifier on Wednesday and are set to face Guatemala on Sunday.
The JFF stated that their primary focus at the moment is supporting the Senior Reggae Girlz as they prepare for their upcoming match against Guatemala. It is worth noting that Jamaica’s coach, Lorne Donaldson, left the team last month.
Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris
