Captain Andre Blake might be the most shocking inclusion considering he underwent a surgery in May
Heimir Hallgrimson, the Reggae Boyz coach, has named Leon Bailey in the squad that will participate in the 2024 Copa America. this prestigious event is expected to begin on June 21st.
This is a surprising inclusion because the Aston Villa winger hasn’t played for his nation since November, 2024. Hallgrimson suspended him because of some disciplinary reasons. The 26 year old was punished for breaking curfew and this saw him miss the Concacaf Nations League finals.
Bailey used the suspension as an opportunity to announce that he was taking a break from the national team. He said that he would focus on his club career. His manager had even listed a couple of demands that must be met by JFF before Bailey returned to the team.
However, it must have been for the Jamaican coaches to ignore Bailey’s ”red hot” form in Aston Villa colors. He finished the season with 10 goals and 9 assists in the English premier league. He is expected to make his comeback during the Copa America tournament.
The 26 man squad is also made up of some notable names like Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock and winger Demarai Gray. The Saudi-based Demarai Gray has established himself as Jamaica’s best player since 2023.
Captain Andre Blake might be the most shocking inclusion considering he underwent a surgery in May. He had missed four games before Philadelphia Union decided to send him to the surgery room. Hallgrimson is hoping that the goalkeeper will be available for the latter stages of Copa America.
The Jamaican’s first game will be against Mexico. This game is expected to happen on Sunday June 2023. This is a winnable game for the Boyz considering that the Mexico squad has been struggling in recent games.
This will be followed by group games against Ecuador and Venezuela. The two best teams will earn their way into the knockout stages.
Squad:
Goalkeepers:
The goalkeepers include: Jahmali Waite, Andre Blake, Shaquan Davis and Coniah Boyce-Clarke.
Defenders:
They include Wesley Harding, Ethan Pinnock, Amari’i Bell, Jon Bell, Greg Leigh, Di’Shon Bernard and Richard King. Others are Michael Hector, Dexter Lembikisa and Damion Lowe.
Midfielders:
This area will be dominated by the likes of Alex Marshall, Kasey Palmer, Karoy Anderson, Bobby Reid, Kevon Lambery and Joel Latibeaudiere.
Forwards:
These are players who will be entrusted with the job of scoring goals. They include Demarai Gray, Renaldo Cephas, Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey, Kaheim Dixon and Shamar Nicholson.
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