THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2026 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | SPORTS 11 U20 Boyz advance to next round in Concacaf Fifteen-year-old Daniel Balli celebrates his podium finish after securing a bronze medal for Team Jamaica at the 2026 Canada Open Taekwondo G2, held from February 26-28 in Calgary, Canada. CONTRIBUTED Jamaica’s Jabarie Howell celebrates scoring in the Concacaf Under-20 Qualifiers. COURTESY OF CONCACAF.COM SPORTS BRIEFS A STUNNING strike from Jabarie Howell proved the difference for the U20 Reggae Boyz as they defeated Puerto Rico 1-0 to top Group B of the Concacaf Men’s U20 Qualifiers and advance to the Concacaf Men’s U20 Championship. Howell scored the lone goal of the contest in the 32nd minute of play to secure Jamaica’s spot in the next round and a perfect run in the group. With the win, the young Boyz have won all five of their group stage games, scoring 28 goals along the way without conceding. Jamaica will advance to the Concacaf Men’s U20 Championship where they will compete for a spot in the 2027 FIFA Men’s U20 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The U20 Championship is set to kick off July 25 and end on August 9. TEAM JAMAICA Taekwondo secured a hard-won bronze medal through the skill and temerity of 15-year-old Daniel Balli at the 2026 Canada Open G2, held in Calgary from February 2628. Competing against a formidable international field, Balli’s podium finish marks a significant milestone for Jamaican taekwondo on the world stage. JAMAICA FOOTBALL Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts said the Reggae Boyz must get their team chemistry right if they are to secure positive results in the upcoming inter-confederation play-off matches for a place at this year’s FIFA World Cup Finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Reggae Boyz are scheduled to face New Caledonia in the semi-final of the inter-confederation play-offs on March 26. Should they advance, they will meet DR Congo on March 31 for the final spot at the tournament. Both matches are set to be played in Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, respectively. SPORTING DIRECTOR of Mount Pleasant Football Academy, Paul Christie, says the club will be without at least 10 first-team players when they face Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy in the Concacaf Champions Cup’s round of 16. The two-leg tie is scheduled for March 11 and 19, with the Theodore Whitmore-coached outfit set to travel to Los Angeles for the first leg before returning to Kingston for the second at the National Stadium. Christie said that visa issues will significantly impact the squad selection, particularly affecting several key players. Mount Pleasant squad decimated ahead of visit to LA Galaxy Team Jamaica mines bronze at 2026 Canada Open Reggae Boyz look to secure World Cup play-off success
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