The David vs. Goliath battle between New Caledonia and Jamaica very nearly went the way it did in the Biblical tale. Played in front of a large and vocal crowd that was won over by Les Cagous’ spirit, Jamaica needed to dig deep to secure the 1-0 win in Guadalajara.
It was a well-taken early goal from 20-year-old Bailey Cadamarteri, in just his fifth appearance, that ultimately proved the difference in a match that was far tighter than many expected. “I seized my opportunity today and helped my country qualify for the final, so I’m happy,” he told FIFA post-match.
That though was one of the limited highlights for a Reggae Boyz outfit that know they’ll need to lift on 31 March when they face Congo DR for a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026™. “We won and that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t matter how,” said captain Andre Blake. “Obviously there are some things that we have to work on, defensively and offensively but sometimes, you have to be able to win 1-0 games.”
“We never underestimated the New Caledonians,” the Jamaican goalkeeper continued. “Football has changed. We knew that it was going to be a tough game and we knew that if we weren’t up for the task, it would have been tough.”
“Obviously, New Caledonia made it hard for us, but in the end, we got the job done,” said Andre Brooks, who was making his international debut and praised the performance of an opponent that “put that much in and know that they’ve got a 6,000-mile flight going home”.
Having come so far, Jamaica are desperate to avoid joining New Caledonia in exiting the tournament and will be looking to build on the clean sheet they kept ahead of a Congolese clash that could send them to the global finals for just the second time.
“It’s an exciting time,” Blake said. “We’re going to celebrate tonight. Tomorrow we look at some things that we can do better. And come Tuesday we just need to find a way to win the game again.”
No matter how it happens, the Jamaicans are just hoping to recapture the thrill of once again qualifying for the World Cup, almost three decades after their France 1998 debut.
