Jamaica looking forward to Gold Cup challenge against Mexico

Jamaica will look to book their place in the 2023 Gold Cup final when they face Mexico on Wednesday night.

The Reggae Boyz have never lifted the Gold Cup, coming closest in 2015 and 2017 with two second-place finishes. However there is great optimism surrounding this year’s squad with a number of proven Premier League players in the roster.

Ahead of the semi-final, Jamaican head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said that he is confident in his team’s chances.

“We know we have a good squad, we know we have good players who can do good things and this is a team in the making, so we are thinking further than [the Mexico game],” he said.

“We want to improve until forever so we are thinking 2026, but it’s good to have success now and we want to go and win this tournament.”

“We have said that from the beginning and we think we have the same chance as anyone else in the semi-finals,” Hallgrimsson added.

The Reggae Boyz are captained by veteran goalkeeper Andre Blake. The 32-year-old debuted for his nation back in 2014 and is now playing in his fifth Gold Cup. Blake is confident that his past experience can help Jamaica go one step further in this year’s competition.

“Experience teaches wisdom and I’ve gathered a lot of experience over the years playing in the Gold Cup,” he said. “It just helps me to be relaxed, to be calm and to know that you have been in that situation before and it kind of helps you to pull through.”

Blake added: “We want to win the game, we don’t get to beat Mexico a lot, they are a very, very good team and like I said earlier we will have to be up to the task.”

“We respect them but we are going to bet on ourselves and we are going out there and putting our best foot forward and hopefully that’s good enough.”

If Jamaica make it past Mexico they will face either the United States or Panama in the final on Sunday, 16 July.