Fulham’s Michael Hector helped Jamaica qualify for the quarter finals of the Gold Cup last night as they overcome Guadeloupe 2-1 to progress from Group C.
The Reggae Boyz required an 87th minute winner from Junior Flemmings to complete a come from behind victory in Orlando last night. An own goal from Amari’i Bell had given Guadeloupe a surprise early lead, but Cory Burke’s low drive quickly levelled matters.
Hector again lined up in a defensive midfield role for Jamaica and played over an hour before being substituted in favour of matchwinner Flemmings. Costa Rica’s victory over Suriname ensures that both they and Jamaica have qualified for the last eight ahead of their concluding Group C clash on Wednesday.
Bobby Decordova-Reid did not feature with rumours suggesting that he is the member of the Jamaican squad that has tested positive for coronavirus. The Jamaican Football Federation confirmed that a member of their squad has contracted coronavirus, but has not revealed the identity of the player.
Meanwhile, Hector has told the Jamaican Observer that there is a real confidence amongst the squad and that he has considered the possibility of going all the way in the tournament:
“It [winning the Gold Cup] would mean everything to me… it would be history and that’s the personal goal I have set myself, and that is not to say I have not set other goals with Jamaica. For me and my family, it would be a proud moment [to win the Gold Cup], and no one has ever done it, so why can’t we be the first? With the group of players we have, we fancy our chances to go very deep in the tournament. Obviously, in tournament football you can’t think too far ahead as you have got to take it game by game.”
