Former Reggae Girlz head coach rubbishes JFF’s causes for separation
Lorne Donaldson, former two-time head coach of Jamaica’s Senior Girls’s Soccer Workforce, the Reggae Girlz, has denied having any “prolonged dialogue” with the Jamaica Soccer Federation (JFF) concerning his official separation from the workforce on Friday.
The native governing physique of soccer, the JFF, had earlier Friday, issued a launch confirming that each Donaldson and itself had agreed to the non-renewal of his contract which involves an finish on September 30, 2023.
“The Jamaica Soccer Federation and Coach Lorne Donaldson had a gathering to debate his contract because the Senior Girls’s Workforce coach, which involves an finish on September 30, 2023.
“After an prolonged dialogue, each events got here to an settlement that the contract wouldn’t be renewed,” the assertion continued.
However later Friday, Donaldson, throughout a radio sports activities call-in program on KLAS FM, advised the hosts that the assembly with JFF Basic Secretary Dennis Chung and his assistant often known as “Suzie” (Susie-George Gayle) lasted lower than 5 minutes, and that there was no “prolonged dialogue” on the subject of his contract.
“No, no, no, no. While you come to an settlement there’s a query and a solution. He [Chung] simply advised me that the contract won’t be renewed. There was no dialogue, none!
“After that I simply stated thanks very a lot,” stated Donaldson, who was assistant coach to Hue Menzies when the Reggae Girlz certified for his or her first FIFA World Cup in 2018.
Donaldson returns for second stint as head coach after Blaine quits
The previous Nationwide participant then changed Menzies shortly after the France 2019 world showpiece, earlier than resigning due to points along with his bosses.
He returned as head coach after Vin Blaine resigned resulting from strain from the gamers in the course of the early levels of qualification for the 2023 FIFA World Cup, and efficiently guided the workforce to its second-consecutive look.
On the World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, Donaldson helped the workforce to a historic first win, 1-0 towards Panama, on its option to the Spherical of 16 after first rate 0-0 outcomes towards France and Brazil, turning into the primary Caribbean workforce to attain the feat.
And solely not too long ago the Reggae Girlz misplaced a playoff sequence 0-2 and 1-2 towards reigning Olympic Video games gold medalist Canada in the course of the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier.
Donaldson additional revealed how the temporary “assembly” unfolded after he and Chung exchanged pleasantries.
“Then for the primary time he stated congratulations on what the ladies have executed on the World Cup, they’ve by no means earlier than congratulated us,” claimed the previous Kingston Faculty and Cavalier Soccer Membership defender.
Extra on Lorne Donaldson
“We won’t renew your contract,” says Chung
“Then he talked about the Canada sport and I simply stated ‘yeah, Canada continues to be the Olympics champion’ and I requested him a query… the final time Jamaica performed Canada, whether or not it was 2020 or 2021, and I requested him the rating of the sport and he had no concept. I stated the rating was 9 nil, Canada.
“He regarded stunned… then he turned and checked out me and stated ‘you recognize we won’t renew your contract’. That was it.”
The JFF additionally expressed gratitude to Donaldson for his efforts and declared its intentions to “instantly put the equipment in place to have competent workers in place for this essential competitors,” on the upcoming CONCACAF Girls’s Gold Cup qualifiers inside a month’s time.
The loss to Canada within the Olympic Video games qualifying playoff places Jamaica to the W Gold Cup Qualifying Group A which incorporates Panama and Guatemala.
The three groups will play residence and away beginning October 25 with the Reggae Girlz going through Panama away. 4 days later Jamaica hosts Guatemala.
On November 29 Panama will play its return sport in Kingston, with Jamaica enjoying away to Guatemala on December 3, 2023.
The winner books an computerized place within the W Gold Cup, whereas the runner-up earns one other shot throughout a playoff subsequent February.
Extra on the Reggae Girlz