With the Fifa Women’s World Cup getting underway Thursday, Jamaica’s squad is gearing up to take on a tough Group F that includes football giants Brazil and France, along with Concacaf rivals Panama.
A solid squad has been named by head coach Lorne Donaldson as the Reggae Girlz look to upset the apple cart at their second tournament in New Zealand and Australia.
Here is what to know about the 24-player Reggae Girlz squad. Most of this information was sourced from a team guide on the national women’s teams published by The Guardian.
Rebecca Spencer
Age: 32
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
What to know: The England-born Spencer represented that country at the junior level and in 2016 received a call-up to the senior team, but was an unused substitute, paving the way for her to switch allegiance to Jamaica, for which she qualified through her father. The Tottenham Hotspur player made her debut for the Reggae Girlz in June 2021 and quickly established herself as Jamaica’s starting keeper. She was instrumental for Jamaica during Concacaf World Cup qualifying and is a big reason why the Reggae Girlz are back at the global showpiece.
Sydney Schneider
Age: 23
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Sparta Prague
What to know: Born in the United States, Schneider opted to represent her maternal grandparents’ homeland, Jamaica. She became first choice at the senior level while just a teen and played a key role during the Reggae Girlz’ first qualifying campaign before equally impressing at the tournament in France. Aged 19 at the time, she saved a penalty in the opening game against Brazil, though the Reggae Girlz lost 3-0. She is poised to perform at her second World cup but is now second-choice behind Spencer.
Liya Brooks
Age: 18
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Washington State University
What to know: The 18-year-old Brooks will understudy Spencer and Schneider at her first World Cup, after impressing at the under-17 and under-20 levels.The US-born player, whose mother is Jamaican, booked her ticket after impressing during the tour of South Korea in September 2022.
Allyson Swaby
Age: 26
Position: Central defence
Club: Angel City FC
What to know: Born in Connecticut to Jamaican parents, Swaby has been an anchor in the Reggae Girlz defence since earning her first cap in 2018. She was a key member of the 2019 World Cup qualifying squad along with her sister Chantelle.
Chantelle Swaby
Age: 24
Position: Central defence
Club: FC Fleury 91
What to know: Chantelle, like her big sister, was a key member of the 2019 World Cup qualifying squad, having joined the Reggae Girlz setup in 2018. Known for her versatility, Swaby initially joined the team as a midfielder but has excelled in other positions, primarily in defence.
Konya Plummer
Age: 25
Position: Centre-back
Club: Unattached
What to know: The St Mary, Jamaica born and raised Plummer has represented the island at all levels – from the Under-15 level – and was captain of the senior team at the 2019 World Cup. A tough-tackling and pacy defender, she gave birth to a son last year before resuming training close to the end of the year. She, however, appears to be back to full fitness.
Vyan Sampson
Age: 27
Position: Central defence/midfield
Club: Hearts
What to know: The London-born Sampson represented England at the youth levels, before switching allegiance in 2021 to Jamaica, which has been utilizing her more as a central midfielder rather than in her more accustomed defensive role. She noted in an interview with FIFA.com that her strong Jamaican connection has made transitioning to the Reggae Girlz easy, highlighting that “In my family, everyone was born in Jamaica bar me and my sister!”
Tiernny Wiltshire
Age: 25
Position: Right-back
Club: Unattached
What to know: The US-born Wiltshire joined the Reggae Girlz set-up in 2019. After a successful college career with the Rutger Scarlet Knights, she played professionally for Maccabi Emek Hefer in Israel, Finland’s Kuopio Palloseura and the Houston Dash in the United States. A versatile player, Wiltshire has experience in both attacking and defensive roles, but is used by Jamaica as a wing back.
Tiffany Cameron
Age: 31
Position: Right-back
Club: FC Gyor
What to know: The Canada-born defender is among the veterans in this Reggae Girlz squad
Cameron is considered as one the most experienced players in the squad who has played professionally for clubs in at least six countries. She recently enjoyed a stellar season for her club FC Gyor in Hungary, with 14 goals and 10 assists to her name. Cameron also created music, and has released several singles including the Reggae Girlz’ official anthem, ‘Our Time is Now’, for the 2019 World Cup in France.
Deneisha Blackwood
Age: 26
Position: Left-back
Club: GPSO 92 Issy
What to know: Jamaica-born and raised Deneisha Blackwood enjoyed a standout collegiate career as a foward at Navarro College and the University of West Florida in the United States, where she was a two-time all-American. She now plays for GPSO 92 Issy in the French second division and has been a feature on the Reggae Girlz squad since her debut in 2018.
Sashana Campbell (Alternate Player)
Age: 32
Position: Left-back
Club: Medyk Konin
What to know: Campbell was included in the squad as an emergency alternative after recently passing fit following an injury at the Concacaf Women’s Championship in Mexico. The Jamaica born and raised veteran is a versatile player who is strong defensively and offensively.
Peyton McNamara
Age: 21
Position: Holding midfielder
Club: Ohio State
What to know: The US-born McNamara is one to watch for the future. She first represented Jamaica at the Under-20 level, and quickly transitioned into the senior team.
Havana Solaun
Age: 30
Position: Central midfield
Club: Houston Dash
What to know: Born to an Afro-Cuban father and a Jamaican mother, Solaun represented the US at the junior levels, but opted to represent the country of her mother’s birth at the senior level. She made her debut for Jamaica against Chile in 2019 and has been one of the key players for the Girlz since. Solaun put herself in the history books when she scored Jamaica’s first-ever goal in a Women’s World Cup after coming on as a second-half substitute against Australia. She recently signed a two-year contract with Houston Dash.
Drew Spence
Age: 30
Position: Central midfield
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
What to know: The London-born Spence is among Jamaica’s most accomplished players at the club level, having made 238 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 50 goals between 2008 and 2022 and winning five WSL titles and four Women’s FA Cups along the way. She now plays for Tottenham. Spence switched allegiance from England to Jamaica in 2021 and was instrumental in qualification for the World Cup.
Atlanta Primus
Age: 26
Position: Attacking midfielder
Club: London City Lionesses
What to know: The England-born Primus qualified to represent Jamaica through her father, former Reading and Portsmouth player Linvoy Primus. A skillfull midfielder, Primus scored the winning goal as the Reggae Girlz beat Morocco 1-0 to close off on their World Cup preparation.
Solai Washington
Age: 18
Position: Central midfield
Club: Concorde Fire/Chamblee High
What to know: The youngest member of the Reggae Girlz squad, the US-born midfielder is another one to watch for the future, possessing great ability on and off the ball that belies her age. Her older sister Giselle, who was also part of the selection pool, missed out on the final cut.
Trudi Carter
Age: 28
Position: Attacking midfielder
Club: Unattached
What to know: Born and raised in the tough Arnett Gardens community in Kingston, Carter is among the more popular players in the Reggae Girlz squad, having represented her country since the youth levels. Known primarily for her skills on the ball, she had an injury-plagued stint at Roma, before moving on to Gintra in Lithuania where she bagged 17 goals in 16 games. She most recently represented Levante Las Planas in Spain.
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw
Age: 26
Position: Centre-forward
Club: Manchester City
What to know: Arguably Jamaica’s greatest-ever women’s footballer, the homegrown Shaw recently won the Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year award and was named WSL Player of the Month twice last season. She is lethal in front of goal and is among the biggest stars at the World Cup. Shaw is Jamaica’s all-time leading goal scorer across both men’s and women’s football with 55 goals, and will be hoping to find the back of the net in her second World Cup, having not scored in France in 2019.
Jody Brown
Age: 21
Position: Winger
Club: Florida State University
What to know: Another one of Jamaica’s popular homegrown talents, the skillfull Brown has represented Jamaica at every level. She made her senior team debut for the Reggae Girlz in 2018 at just 16 and has not looked back. She won the best young player award at the Concacaf Women’s Championships in 2018, scoring four goals on the way to World Cup qualification.
Paige Bailey-Gayle
Age: 21
Position: Winger
Club: Crystal Palace
What to know: Another London-born player, Bailey-Gayle featured for England at the youth level before making the switch to Jamaica. A skillful forward, she joined Crystal Palace in 2022 and is set to become the club’s first-ever female player to feature at a Women’s World Cup.
Kameron Simmonds
Age: 20
Position: Centre-forward
Club: University of Tennessee
What to know: Kameron Simmonds was born into a family of footballers, and is the third member of the Simmonds clan to represent the country, following in the footsteps of her father Gregory and grandfather Patrick. The US-born forward made her debut with the Reggae Girlz in September 2022 and scored her first international goal against Czech Republic at the 2023 Cup of Nations tournament in Australia.
Cheyna Matthews
Age: 29
Position: Centre-forward
Club: Chicago Red Stars
What to know: A mom of three, the US-born striker is heading to her second World Cup. In 2019, she received her first call-up to Jamaica just months after giving birth to her first son. It’s a similar path this time around, having given birth to her third son less than a year ago before another rapid comeback to the field. Matthews is married to NFL free agent and former Vanderbilt star Jordan Matthews. Matthews, who qualifies to represent Jamaica through mother Corinia Williams, is known for her good ball-handling skills and slick touches.
Kalyssa Van-Zanten
Age: 21
Position: Winger
Club: University of Notre Dame
What to know: Affectionately known as “Kiki”, she was born in the United States to a Jamaican mother and a father with Dutch ancestry. A pacy and skillfull attacker, Van Zanten is another one to watch for the future. She represented the US at youth level before switching allegiance to Jamaica for last year’s World Cup qualifiers, figuring prominently for the black, green and gold. Kiki scored the winning goal in Jamaica’s 1-0 win over Costa Rica in their third-place game at the Concacaf Women’s Championships in Mexico.
Kayla McKenna
Age: 25
Position: Centre-forward
Club: Rangers
What to know: McKenna is the granddaughter of retired Jamaican politician Pearnel Charles. Having made her debut for Jamaica in 2019, she was selected for Jamaica’s World Cup squad in France but suffered an injury and had to be replaced. McKenna is a key member of this Reggae Girlz squad who is known for her versatility.
