Youthful Boyz ready for Nigeria test

IT may not be FIFA World Cup qualification but the Reggae Boyz have an opportunity to give their supporters something to celebrate when they battle defending champions Nigeria in Saturday’s Unity Cup final at The Valley in London, starting at 1:30 pm.

The national senor men’s team will play in their second-straight final after beating India 2-0 on Wednesday, thanks to forward Kaheim Dixon and debutant England-born midfielder Courtney Clarke. Jamaica also lost to Nigeria in the inaugural Unity Cup final in 2002.

It’s a repeat of the 2025 final at Brentford Community Stadium where Jamaica came from behind twice to draw 2-2 in regulation time but the Nigerians won the contest 5-4 on penalties.

Only six players from last year’s squad returned for this year’s exhibition tournament, with interim boss Rudolph Speid opting to select a young core to make up his 26-man squad as they move on from their failure to qualify for next month’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

He further boosted his ranks on Friday with the addition of 18-year-old Manchester United left back Dante Plunkett, who was named in the national under-20 squad in February before injury ruled him out of the Concacaf Qualifiers in Curacao.

Like Jamaica, Nigeria, who beat Zimbabwe 2-0 on Tuesday to secure their spot in the final, are favourites to retain the title for a fourth time, despite missing the majority of their regulars as several young and local-based players have been trusted for the tournament.

Speid, though, isn’t daunted by the 26th-ranked Nigerians and is confident his team can pull off an upset.

“They [Nigeria] are very good but every team is beatable,” he said. “We have to be aware of what they bring [but] we have some things to bring ourselves.

“Jamaica is still in a rebuilding stage, with lots of young players. As with the game these days, nobody is a winner before the game is played, so that’s where we are right now.”

The Reggae Boyz have only beaten the Super Eagles once in their previous six encounters, with the Nigerians recording an impressive four clean sheets.

Despite the losing record Speid is optimistic the tables will turn this year.

“[Nigeria] have always beaten us every single time before. I am hoping that’s not the case this time but it’s always exciting to play against Nigeria,” he said.

“They play exciting football and are one of the powerhouses in Africa, so it’s always good. We always look forward to playing them. Last year was very exciting — it was a 2-2 draw. This year, I hope we’ll have better results against them.”

Jamaica lost on penalties last year but Speid has enjoyed success in shoot-outs, guiding Cavalier FC to Jamaica Premier League titles over Mount Pleasant Football Academy in both 2024 and 2025 after penalty victories. But in his absence from last Sunday’s JPL final Cavalier were beaten 5-3 on penalties by Portmore United.

Nigeria missed the opportunity to face the Reggae Boyz in the Intercontinental Play-offs in Mexico in March, after suffering a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to World Cup-bound DR Congo in the CAF play-offs.

They also fell short in last year’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, losing 4-2 on penalties to Morocco, but bounced back to defeat Egypt 4-2 in a shoot-out in the third-place play-off.

While confident his team can come out on top in a penalty shoot-out, Nigeria Head Coach Eric Chelle has challenged his players to impose themselves over the full 90 minutes.

“Penalties are part of the game, and it can decide who wins a match. Every time I go into a game, I have the mentality to win,” he said.

“This is the culture I have put in these boys — the winning culture. I don’t know if Saturday’s game will end in penalties but what I know is that I have prepared my team to win. These are very young players with a bright future, and they are hungry for success at any level, so we will see how the game is decided. But, we surely have prepared to win and defend the Unity Cup.”

Jamaica football interim Head Coach Rudolph Speid (centre) oversees a practice session at Verde Valle training centre in Zapopan, Mexico, on March 30, 2026, ahead of the FIFA World Cup play-off match against DR Congo on March 31. (Photo: AFP)

SPEID… Jamaica is still in a rebuilding stage, with lots of young players. As with the game these days, nobody is a winner before the game is played (Photo: AFP)