Donaldson on Panama test: ‘We’ll have to be very good, it’s going to be a dogfight’
Jamaica head coach Lorne Donaldson said that he expects a “dogfight” when his Reggae Girlz take the field to face Panama in their second Group F game at the Women’s World Cup on Saturday.
The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am Jamaica time.
Panama currently sit bottom of the table following a 4-0 thumping by Brazil in their opening game. In contrast, Jamaica caused one of the early shocks of the tournament when they held France to a goalless draw.
It came at a cost though – talismanic striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw will miss the Panama game after being sent off late on against the French.
Donaldson gave a guarded response when asked who will replace Jamaica’s all-time top scorer.
“It’s the World Cup. We will obviously put somebody in there,” he said. “Could take more than one, to get her job done. I prepare that person and just get after it. We might change a few things, but not much.”
Defender Allyson Swaby said she expected Panama to fight just as hard as Jamaica to get a positive result.
“We both are still fighting for our first win in a World Cup,” she said. “And that’s something that you can’t take lightly, that kind of hunger to make history for your country. So we expect them to come out flying.”
