Whitmore hunts history at Gold Cup

Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will bow into action in Group C of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup when they face Suriname at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Kick-off time is 5.30.p.m.

Head coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore will not only be hunting a winning starting but will be hoping to create history by becoming the first Jamaica coach to win the tournament.

Whitmore believes he has a team capable of pulling off the victory at this year's edition and insists he will not be leaving anything to chance.

"We are here to win this competition," Whitmore told reporters in an online Concacaf press conference yesterday. "As a coach, this competition has eluded me from 2017 and so we are looking forward for a good show in the 2021 edition," he said.

"We expect a good showing. Personally, I want to be the first local coach to win this tournament. It is very important and it starts tomorrow afternoon against Suriname. We are comfortable with what we are doing and what we have achieved so far and we are looking for great things to happen," he continued.

Whitmore was coach of the Reggae Boyz when they lost the Gold Cup final to Mexico in 2017 and the semi-finals to the USA in 2019. But the 1998 World Cup hero believes that this term he has a squad capable of pulling off this mammoth task of winning the Gold Cup.

Go out and perform

"We went to the final in 2017 and we were semi-finalists in 2019. So the whole preparation for this tournament starts tomorrow night against Suriname.

"But for us to reach the final we have to do well. We have the guys to go out and perform and we will leave nothing for chance. We are in a tournament and I think we have the ammunition to sustain it. What we need now is to get the first game out of the way," he added.

Jamaica's Reggae Boyz have not been in good form going into the Gold Cup. In their most recent matches they lost 4-0 to Japan's Under-23 team, drew 1-1 with Serbia and lost 4-1 to the United States. The Reggae Boyz have four wins and two defeats against their South American opponents. Jamaica won their last two meetings, 2-1 in the Concacaf Nations League in 2018 and 1-0 in the Caribbean Cup in 2016. Suriname last defeated Jamaica 25 years ago, 3-1, in a Caribbean Cup group game in 1996.

In today's second game in Group C, Costa Rica will play Guadeloupe at 8 p.m.JAMAICA'S SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Andre Blake,Dennis Taylor, Dillon Barnes

Defenders: Michael Hector, Amari Bell, Alvas Powell, Liam Moore, Oniel Fisher, Damion Lowe, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence

Midfielders: Lamar Walker, Blair Turgott, Daniel Johnson, Ravel Morrison, Tyreek Magee, Devon Williams

Forwards: Leon Bailey, Cory Burke, Bobby Reid, Shamar Nicholson, Junior Flemmings, Andre Gray.

Today's games

Group C5:30 p.m. - Jamaica vs Suriname8 p.m. - Costa Rica vs Guadeloupe