In a tightly contested international friendly at Kirani James Stadium, Jamaica’s national football team secured a 1-0 victory against Grenada through Nickalia Fuller’s decisive 75th-minute strike. The match served as crucial preparation for the Reggae Boyz’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against New Caledonia scheduled for March.
Interim head coach Rudolph Speid enjoyed a successful debut on the sidelines as Fuller, representing Tivoli Gardens FC, scored his inaugural international goal for Jamaica. The victory extends Jamaica’s dominant record against Grenada, marking their tenth win in thirteen encounters between the Caribbean nations.
Coach Speid expressed satisfaction with his team’s implementation of training strategies, noting: ‘Our primary objective was to assess whether players would execute our training concepts in match conditions. Generally, we achieved this through effective ball movement and composed possession play.’
The technical staff plans comprehensive video analysis to evaluate tactical execution, with Speid emphasizing the challenge of observing all details during live gameplay. The match also featured international debuts for four players: Nickyle Ellis (Racing United), Tafari Chambers (Mount Pleasant), Dwight Merrick (Dunbeholden FC), and Nico Brown (Lexington SC).
Speid utilized 21 players total, including 16 from Jamaica’s Premier League, ensuring widespread participation. Additional preparatory matches are anticipated as Jamaica finalizes its squad selection for the critical World Cup qualifiers on March 26th and 31st.
Despite Jamaica’s FIFA ranking of 70th compared to Grenada’s 164th, Speid acknowledged Grenada’s competitive performance under coach Anthony Modeste, former Portmore United standout and JPL champion. Speid noted the psychological dimension of regional competition, stating: ‘Our Caribbean dominance has been challenged recently, making this hard-fought victory particularly valuable for our qualifying campaign.’