 Ampass between Jamaica's history-making reggae girls and the Jamaica Football Federation, JFF, remains unresolved, with the World Cup stars omitted from upcoming Konka Cup Gold Cup qualifying games. All members of the 2023 World Cup squad withheld their services for the October FIFA window, saying they hadn't received full and correct payments for their historic round of 16 performance in Australia and New Zealand. They also cited constant mistreatment from the JFF as a reason for withholding their services. However, with money spade, fans were expecting to see the likes of Khadija Bani Shaw, the Swabie sisters Drew Spence and Rebecca Spencer for the November 29 game against Panama and Kingston and the December 3 encounter away to Guatemala. That will not be the case. It is understood that attempts to convene a meeting to address the alleged mistreatment have not materialised. The JFF has since proposed a December 8 meeting to which they are awaiting confirmation from the representatives of the reggae girls. While the 23-member squad, named by interim coach Xavier Gilbert on Wednesday, includes Paul Malia at Kins. So Ricardo, I turn to you now with the situation at hand and of course with the correspondence that we've received. Where are we? What's happening? To be honest Mariah, I'm not completely sure. I am at a loss for what is really going on here. I would have expected that once the monies were paid over, there would be a speed of resolution to this impasse between the history-making reggae girls who did brilliantly at the World Cup and the Jamaica Football Federation. The fact that we are here a week away from the next game against Panama and those girls will not be involved and the issues have still not been resolved is extremely disappointing to me. Now, let's look at the information as we have it Mariah. Apparently there was to be a meeting between the girls and the Jamaica Football Federation. That meeting was to iron out the issues. That meeting apparently did not take place. Why? Well, I'm not sure. So I just want to make that clear. There's no reason given as to why it didn't happen. That in itself is, as I said, extremely disappointing and especially at this stage. Now, we have heard a lot Mariah from the Jamaica Football Federation. This is not the first time I am going to say this on this show but I'll repeat it today because I think it is important. Throughout this entire process, we have seen essentially two letters coming from the regga girls. One before the World Cup and one just before they pulled out of the squad for the October FIFA window. What we have not seen from the regga girls is a representative or representatives stepping up and speaking to anyone in the media and not that they necessarily have to Mariah but I think at this stage with everything that has gone on and especially know because the matter is still unresolved. I think it would be the right thing to come forward and let the public know what is really happening in this situation because where we are right now is extremely disappointing and in many ways for me it is a slap in the face of the genuine fans who want to see the best regga girls team in action, who want to see the team qualify for the Gold Cup next year and do well as best as they can because guess what? What we did learn from the matches in October against Guatemala and Panama is that the depth of Jamaica's women's football is better than many people thought based on the results against Panama and Guatemala. Atool 1 lost to Panama in a really tight game, Atool draw with Guatemala again, another tight game, both games could have gone either way. Not many people expected the regga girls as far as I am concerned, the third string team to be as competitive as they were but they were competitive. What is still true though Mariah is that the best regga girls team is a combination of the girls that played in the October window and the girls who competed at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and the fact that we do not have that cannot be the best thing for women's football in this country. Yeah and I think about what's at stake, Gold Cup qualification, our reputation of women's football. What these Jamaican women have fought to finally reach a certain level of professional football because we've heard for quite some time that of course there was no football than the Siddella Mali team coming in and you know resurrecting the football in Jamaican and I feel as if you know things are going backwards now with this entire situation and I am actually very disappointed Ricardo is that one there is no reason given as to why and if it's because of lack of communication that the meeting did not happen then I wonder how important is football and national football to all of the parties involved because if there was supposed to be a meeting as we were informed then why did the meeting not happen is it that the representatives were not available is it that the ladies were not available so for me again and we sit here always sometimes when we're discussing issues like this with more questions than answers. I also feel sorry for coach I have to say we had him on set, Xavier Gilbert he has not been afforded a full squad of team a full squad to pick players to represent and to show what he can do as a coach as a matter of fact coaches just using what he can trying to put the pieces together and of course keep Jamaica's football loving fans pleased us is in point because we know of course when the fans get angry Ricardo they go for the coach it's just that's just what happened I don't think they will in this instant though. Yeah but coach has been really trying to survive with what he has had at his disposal and I think it's so unfair for him as well. Yeah and you pointed to the conversation that we had with Xavier Gilbert on this show and he the question was put to him directly and he did say that you can expect the best combination of what Jamaica's women's football has to offer and I think given the fact that it is not the case he himself would be extremely disappointed that he does not have the best possible squad at his disposal. I want to say Mariah that in these issues sometimes you don't even know what to believe which is why you want to hear from the persons involved directly. So for example one of the things I've been hearing today is that there was supposed to be a meeting yesterday between the GFF and members of the regga girl set up. Two names were called from the regga girl set up and apparently the meeting was put off at last minute because they had games or something to that effect. So you're hearing all these things but the matter is not being resolved. I've heard for example that because the meeting to resolve these issues was within the 14 day period that the regga girls requested in October to get before selection and because the meeting was within that 14 day period then how do I put this? Lord help me because the meeting was within the 14 day period there is no way that they could then take part in this window because it would not have 14 days left. The next match is on the 29. Yeah they would not have been advised within that 14 day period that they have requested. What we do know for sure know is that the Jamaica Football Federation have proposed a December 8th date to meet with the girls but they are still yet to get confirmation that that date will be accepted by the girls and this thing just keeps going Mariah. That's the problem it just keeps going. This is like you're in court and you just keep getting a new date every time you go to court and you feel like your case is going forever yet it's going nowhere by the way I've never had that situation I've just heard about it. Well you know I just want to add to what you said just now about you know all the things that are that are on the line and the fact that we'll keep put we keep hearing that it's put off you know date after date Ricardo I think we're missing the most important the bigger picture here there is a match on November 29 that Jamaica has to of course win because we have to think about the point-standings currently third in the group right a lot is on the line and these ladies are expected to come out and fight while there is a fight going on off the pitch we have to remember that and for me it's like Jamaica is not getting its best shot because you know again I go back to coach not having the full complement of players that could actually put up a fight and I'm not in any way trying to disregard the ladies that played because against Guatemala that draw a lot of heart a lot of fight goals coming from players making their debut so for me I was totally impressed but I'm thinking you know we play Panama again Panama defeated Jamaica and yes you can study the team you can go back out but I just feel like experience is also very important and a lot of the World Cup players have received that experience they're not going to be playing and that's a disadvantage from the onset and let me tell you those things help the teams that are coming into the match so Panama knows that a lot is going on in Jamaica right now they're not focused because because there's this mindset thing that of course plays a massive part in results they're coming into this game probably laugh and say it well Jamaica has so much things going on that you know they're bringing in younger players players are making their debut so we can walk all over them and for me that can work in the reggae girls favor because you know the teams can take them for granted that's fine but still I think personally we're not giving it the best shot that we could yeah the one thing I will say is that one I don't think that Panama will take the Jamaicans lightly even if they consider the reggae girls set up to be an under strength setup which it really is but also I actually have complete confidence in the girls that they will remain focused the ones who will be taking the field next week Wednesday and that is because they have already shown that they can do that remember the first leg in Panama the first match in Panama there were issues within Panama in terms of the industrial strikes and protests on the street they had to be moved from their original hotel changes of venue and all of that they managed all of that and put in a tremendous performance even though they came up short and another brilliant performance in the home game against Guatemala those experiences I think they will be better for I think they will perform even better in this November window but for me it is still besides the point even if these girls win the fact is you do not have your best team out there and that is a problem that is something that between the World Cup stars as we have dubbed them and the Jamaica Football Federation need to earn out and they need to do it quickly as far as I am concerned this has gone on for far too long and an end needs to be put to it and and my main point is that I think somewhere along the line the regga girls or someone representing the regga girls need to step forward and say that listen this is what is happening because consider that throughout this entire process we have not heard from any representative of the regga girls except through a couple of releases or letters in my opinion given everything that has happened that is not good enough and not you alone have heard because based on what we've been told they were supposed to be a meeting the GFF didn't hear any sort of correspondence yesterday your news somebody was supposed to meet with them again no response so for me it's just not a tidy look it doesn't look well especially when I keep stressing there's so much on the line I would love to be talking about these two players that scored last time I the new player Melissa Johnson and yeah I would love to be speaking about them and how they're incorporated yeah into the senior setup and you know what we can expect with these new players adding to what the World Cup star players have and I feel like we are also being robbed of that treat Ricardo and you know this discussion continues I hope that the GFF and the representatives from the regga girls can just meet quickly get over this and let's get back to playing football yeah well the strong suggestion from the Jamaica Football Federation as we have it is that they've not been getting the type of responses from the girls that they would hope and hopefully they will and hopefully this matter will be resolved soon we'll take our break we'll be back with more of the sports next zone