Theodore Whitmore is out as Jamaica’s national soccer coach, seven weeks before the Reggae Boyz resume World Cup qualifying and try to climb back into contention for a berth in next year’s tournament.
The Jamaica Football Federation announced his departure Thursday.
Trying to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1998, Jamaica is sixth in the eight-nation regional finals of North and Central America and the Caribbean with seven points. Canada leads with 16 points, followed by the United States with 15 and Mexico and Panama with 14 apiece. The top three teams qualify, and the No. 4 team meets the Oceania winner in a playoff for another berth.
Whitmore, a former player for Jamaica, began his second stint as national team coach in September 2016. The Reggae Boyz lost to the U.S. in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, the third-place game in 2019 and the quarterfinals this year.
Jamaica was coming off a 1-1 draw against the U.S. in Kingston on Nov. 16. The Reggae Boyz host Mexico on Jan. 27, play at Panama three days later and are home against Costa Rica on Feb. 2.
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