Panama seeks to settle outstanding debt to Jamaica

Coach of the senior football team Panama, Mexican Ignacio “Nacho” Quintana, said this Sunday, before the match against Jamaica, that there was an outstanding debt with the Caribbean and that the best way to settle it was by W Gold Cup 2024.

“Well, (Jamaica) already owes us a few, even before I arrived, it owes us a lot, I think the perfect time (to repay the debt) is the classification golden cup“, he indicated Quintanand, after the last job in Panamaá, before traveling this Monday to Jamaica.

He added that it would be a very important step for women’s football in Panama and that “it is already counted among the five or six teams that can compete in this Golden Cup”.

“We have to arrive with that enthusiasm and we also want to do that facing a rival like Jamaica, We want to be really encouraged by being able to beat a team as strong as them,” he said.

Quintana recognized that the team Jamaicanor they will not have the usual players who were at the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but he warned that this makes them more dangerous, because of the desire to surpass.

“We expect Jamaica with players who are not them World, but they can be even more dangerous than those at the World Cup, because they come with a desire to excel, like us, so we expect Jamaica to come out and demand the game,” he explained.

“We didn’t put much emphasis on player by player Jamaica, s“We can’t improve and we know that will be enough for the points on Wednesday,” he said.

The Mexican coach specified that most of the domestic players, i.e. 12 of the 23 invited, did not physically arrive at training after the break of the women’s league in Panama, which was recently canceled due to the tense moment the Central American country is experiencing due to anti-mining protests.

“Physically, they don’t arrive at the best moment, that’s clear, we are trying as a team to return something (that was) lost, but we know very well that competition gives you something that training doesn’t give you,” he explained.

Quintana He pointed out that he is betting on direct placement on W gold cup, But he also explained that, if that doesn’t happen, there is a backup plan to claim that card in the playoffs.

“There is a contingency plan, and let’s say (also that) in case the local teams don’t start, we will do the same as we did for the World Cup play-offs, we will do a mini pre-season in December and we will also work non-stop in January” , He said.

For this new international expedition, Qinstalled He stated that the only loss would be that of a midfielder, Deysiré Salazar, physical problem, and this was replaced byr Yerenis De León.

Panama It is in first place in the group with 6 points (2 wins and 1 loss) and a difference of 3 goals in favor, while Guatemala is second with 4 points and a difference of -2. Jamaica, third, has 1 point and a difference of -1, but with a game less.

“They know that if they lose to us, they’re going to have to go out and beat Guatemala and that they’re not an easy opponent either,” he noted.