|
Thursday, March 12, 2008
The infectious sounds of Reggae
and Soca will punctuate the Kingston air when the “Reggae Boyz” of
Jamaica tackle Trinidad and Tobago's "Soca Warriors" in a friendly
international match at the National Stadium on Wednesday, March 26
2008 starting at 7:00 pm.
The match will be used by both
teams as part of their preparations for the 2010 World Cup
qualifying campaign. The encounter will be the first meeting
between the teams in almost three years, with Jamaica coming away
2-1 winners in a Digicel Cup encounter in February, 2005.
Wednesday, March 26 will also see
the second leg of the first round of World Cup qualifiers taking
place but with both T&T and Jamaica having a first round bye, they
will use the opportunity to tune up for their second round
matches, scheduled for June 2008.
The teams are expected to field
full strength squads inclusive of their overseas based
professionals. Jamaica has invited several European based players
including Wigan Marlon King, along with Ricardo Gardner of Bolton
Wanderers, Donovan Ricketts of Bradford City, Demar Phillips of
Stoke City. The squad will also see the welcomed return of “Reggae
Boyz” stalwart Deon Burton.
Rounding out the list of
internationally based invited players are: Luton Shelton, Omar
Daley, Ian Goodison, Demar Stewart, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, O’neil
Thompson, Khari Stephenson, Tyrone Marshall.
T&T is also expected to have more
of its overseas-based pros, who have not played for the country
since October 2006. Their quest for glory will revolve around
English based talisman Kenwyne Jones of Sunderland and Stern John
of Southampton.
This game is also significant in
the fact that Jamaica's Technical Director Rene Simoes was once
the head coach of the “Soca Warriors”, a post he filled back in
2002, four years after having guided the Reggae Boys on the Road
to France campaign in 1998.
Tickets for the game will go on
sale from Saturday, March 22. Prices include Grandstand $3,000 and
$2,500, Bleachers $1,000. They are available at: Juici Patties –
Clarendon; Hi Lo Spanish Town, Cross Roads, Liguanea, Mandeville,
Port Maria; World of Sports, Savanna La Mar, Negril; Petcom
Portmore; Western Sports, Twin Gates, Liguanea, Montego Bay and
Ocho Rios; Rori King Petrol Station; Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Morant Bay;
York Pharmacy and New Kingston Golf Academy.
Major sponsors for the match are
Digicel, Red Stripe and Jamaica National Building Society. Other
sponsors include Jamaica Money Market Brokers, National Commercial
Bank, Air Jamaica, the Sport Development Foundation, Grace,
Stewarts Auto, The Jamaica Observer and Courts. |