Reggae Boyz defeats Honduras in World Cup qualifying clash
On Wednesday night, the Reggae Boyz were 2-0 winners over Honduras in their FIFA World Cup 2022 Concacaf Final Round qualifier inside the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano.
Kemar Roofe and Oniel Fisher were the goal scorers for Jamaica in the 38th and 79th minutes, respectively. Both players were scoring their first goals for the Reggae Boyz at the senior level.
Both teams were off to a very slow start. Still, Honduras got the first sniff at the goal when midfielder, Anthony Grant, gave away possession cheaply just outside the eighteen-yard box. However, the Reggae Boyz recovered quickly, forcing Albert Elis wide, and his shot ended up being off-target. After half an hour played, Jamaica began to grow in the game. They asserted themselves in the attacking third, controlling the tempo while neutralizing Honduras’ attempts to play out from the back.
It took a moment of brilliance from striker, Shamar Nicholson, who out of nothing created some space for himself to strike at the goal, but it was Roofe’s deflection took the effort past Lopez into goal in the 38th minute, who was having a great game up until that point.
Just minutes earlier, Junior Flemming, from close range, had the opportunity to open his goal-scoring campaign, but Lopez came up big with a fantastic save to keep the game at nil-all.
However, Jamaica secured all three points when substitute Andre Gray linked up with Oniel Fisher in the 79th minute to fire his shot past full stretched Lopez for the second goal of the contest.
This victory marked Jamaica’s first win of the World Cup qualifying campaign, having lost three and drawing two of their opening five games.
Jamaica moves up to sixth place on five points, the same as El Salvador but they are in seventh place with a poorer goal difference. After coming from behind, Mexico sits atop on 14 points to defeat Costa Rica 2-1, who sits in fifth place.
In the other fixture, Canada thrashed Panama 4-1 to jump to third on 10 points while Panama remains on 8 points in fourth place. Honduras has yet to register a win and is now the new bottom of the table dwellers on 3 points.
Jamaica has now only won three times on Central American soil during a World Cup qualifier. The other two victories were in 2004 when they got the better of El Salvador 3-0 and in 2015 with a comfortable 2-0 win over Nicaragua.
This win was the Reggae Boyz first victory in the final round of World Cup qualifying since 2001 and the first time scoring two goals in a World Cup qualifier since 2013.
Theodore Whitmore also reached a milestone as head coach of the Reggae Boyz, achieving his 55th win as a manager, equaling the previous record set by former head coach Rene Simoes.
Jamaica sets up next to face El Salvador on 12 November before playing USA at the office.
