The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ONE of the first major events to be hosted in the new state-of-the-art Thomas A Robinson National Stadium has marked the “beginning of a new era,” according to Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson.

The Bahamas is expected to play host to one of the top sides in the Caribbean and another top side in the English Premier League as the Jamaican national team, known fondly as “the Reggae Boyz” are scheduled to take on Tottenham Hotspur in an exhibition match on May 23.

Both teams accepted an invitation from the Government of The Bahamas, and the stage is set for the first match featuring a Premier League Club in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The match will also mark one of the major events in the new 15,000-seat stadium as well as in the year-long celebration of The Bahamas’ 40th anniversary of independence.

Anton Sealy, president of the Bahamas Football Association, said that the venue in the Bahamas will provide great fan support for both teams.

“The BFA is very proud to be able to play host to a club the calibre of Tottenham Hotspur, and a national team the calibre of the Reggae Boyz. They enjoy a good following here in the Bahamas and we know they will be well received May 23,” he said.

“We all know the Reggae Boyz are supported by a colourful group of fans and bring a special brand of excitement to any match in which the Reggae Boyz are involved. We know we have a healthy population of Jamaicans here in the Bahamas and in South Florida so we expect that they will be here in numbers to that effect. This historic event gives the BFA an unprecedented opportunity not only to showcase this wonderful facility, but allows the many kids that participate in our growing football league to witness a world class match between two superior quality teams.”

Both teams are coming off milestone victories within the last week.

Tottenham beat Arsenal 2-1 in a three goal thriller to pull seven points clear of their rivals in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Darren Eales, director of football administration for Tottenham, said that his team expects a thrilling challenge, despite its status as an exhibition match.

“On behalf of the Tottenham Hotspur I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the BFA, the National Sports Autority, Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Tourism, the Government of the Bahamas and the Jamaica Football Federation for giving us the chance to be the first Premier football club to play in the Bahamas. The fact that this is a part of the islands 40th anniversary of independence celebrations and is one of the first major events at this new stadium will really add to the sense of the occasion. Since I arrived in the Bahamas I have had an extremely warm welcome, and I think I can speak for all players and coaching staff when I say that we are really looking forward to playing here,” he said.

“It gives us great opportunity to play against top flight international competition. We know they have a cracking side, so we are under no illusion that this will be anything less than a tough game. They have lots of players that we know from England. We know that once our EPL season is finished we know that’s not the end of it we’ll have to keep that momentum going until this match.”

The Reggae Boyz have also come off an historic performance when they shocked the soccer world in Mexico City and pulled off a 0-0 draw against Mexico.

Jamaica had been held scoreless in five previous World Cup matches in Azteca stadium. Mexico is considered a heavy favourite to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The last time they have drawn at Azteca stadium was on November 9, 1997, against Costa Rica.

Jamaica, which last made a World Cup appearance in France in 1998, will play on March 22 in Kingston against Panama.

Captain Horace Burell, president of the Jamaican Football Federation, said the Jamaican team was honoured to accept the invite from the Bahamian government, and will be at full strength, eager to challenege an EPL side.

“When I was asked to have the Reggae Boyz engage Tottenham, I thought about it for a moment, but believe me, this decision was very, very easy. It was indeed an honour to commit the JFF to play against Tottenham, which will indeed be a great matchup if I may say. When asked, we felt it as an honour and we said it was an occasion we certainly could not miss. It is not often that we play against club teams because as a policy of the JFF we only engage national teams, because if you ever come out on the losing end and fail to win that game, you come under some tremendous pressure.

“Nonetheless, when we heard Tottenham was coming here, we considered it a privilege because Tottenham is an outstanding club, it is world renowned,” he said, “Let me also assure you that the Jamaican team will be at full strength. We just called up 18 players from Europe who will be participating in the qualifier this month in Kingston, so we will have our full team and more. Currently, we have three EPL players. By the time we see you, that number should be at about six or more and so that will make the game a bit more exciting.”

The stadium is part of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, an ongoing redevelopment plan on its 450 acres that will eventually include an athletes’ village, new baseball and softball fields and stadiums, and a new indoor multiplex.

In the build-up to Jamaica’s qualifying round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, this fixture provides the Jamaican team with ideal preparation ahead of its all-important match against Mexico the following week.

For those interested in watching Tottenham Hotspur take on the Jamaican national team, tickets for the match are available now and can be purchased online at www.nsa-bahamas.com.