Jamaica goalkeeper (GK) Rebecca Spencer said even before her Reggae Girlz team stepped onto the pitch for their opening match of the 2023 Australia/New Zealand FIFA Women’s World Cup game against European standard-bearers France, they knew it would be a tall task, according to CONCACAF.
“But the Jamaicans, like the mighty warriors they are, rose above all challenges — on and off the pitch — to create history for themselves and their country,” said CONCACAF on Monday.
“That the 43rd-ranked Jamaicans were able to come out of a group involving fifth-ranked France and eighth-ranked Brazil, is seen as one of the greatest stories of the women’s game,” it added.
In their Group F matches, the Reggae Girlz drew 0-0 with the French, defeated fellow CONCACAF rivals Panama 1-0 off Allyson Swaby’s headed goal, then held Brazil goal-less cementing their progression to the Round of 16.
Jamaica faced South American outfit Colombia on Tuesday in a Round of 16 encounter.
The history-making Jamaicans, on their group exploits, created firsts all the way: first point at a World Cup, first victory and first qualification to the knockout phase.
“All the while, they kept a clean sheet in each match which, by itself, is a great accomplishment and a source of pride for the team and a leading figure in the solid backline is shot-stopper Spencer, who says getting out of the group was a pre-tournament goal of the team,” CONCACAF said.
“I felt that we have been hugely underestimated. Obviously, with the huge noise that was going on outside of us playing and the lack of matches that we had leading up to the tournament, I don’t think anyone took us seriously,” said the Tottenham Hotspur star.
Spencer said, more than anything, it’s the tight bonds that is helping to fuel the team’s success.
“As a group, like I said, both players and staff, we know that we got togetherness and family filled in our group. We were resilient and we had a point to prove.
“For months we have been saying it, we are getting out of this group and we have proven just that. I am just proud of everyone for sticking together and getting it done and now we want to keep going,” Spencer said.
CONCACAF said, “No doubt, the heroics of the Jamaican women’s footballers will rank very highly among the greatest sporting moments for a country whose enviable sporting prowess has put it on the global map in various disciplines.”
“I believe that qualifying for the knockout stages is the best achievement in the country’s history,” Spencer said. “We have inspired a generation, and for a third-world country and obviously Caribbean teams, we are showing that we are catching up with the top teams and showing what can be done.
“For us as a group of players, a group of staff, I think we are leading the way in terms of that and we are showing the kids and players in Jamaica what can be achieved,” the 32-year-old added.
“I hope everyone in Jamaica had an enjoyable time, because I know there were thousands of people watching the games and we had a lot of fans in the stadiums,” Spencer continued.
