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Jamaica Unveil 24-Man Squad for 2026 Unity Cup in London

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36 minutes ago

5:59 am

Jamaica Unveil 24-Man Squad for 2026 Unity Cup in London

The Jamaica Football Federation has announced a 24-man squad for the 2026 Unity Cup as preparations continue for the four-nation tournament in London.

The Reggae Boyz squad was confirmed in a statement released on the federation’s official X account ahead of their semi-final clash against India.

Reacting to the squad announcement, the federation said: “Experience meets the next wave. Premier League pedigree, Championship grit, and homegrown hunger — all pulling in one direction. From the sticks to the strikers, every name on this list carries the badge.”

Jamaica will take on India in the second semi-final on May 27 at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic. The match comes a day after the opening semi-final between Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

The winners of both semi-finals will face off in the final on May 30, while the defeated teams will compete in the third-place playoff earlier the same day.

Nigeria is the defending champion of the Unity Cup after beating Jamaica on penalties in the 2025 final following a thrilling 2-2 draw in regulation time.

Meanwhile, India’s head coach Khalid Jamil has named a 28-man preliminary squad for the tournament.

The squad includes experienced players such as goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, defender Sandesh Jhingan, midfielder Anirudh Thapa and forward Lallianzuala Chhangte.

India’s team is expected to assemble in Bengaluru after the conclusion of the Indian Super League season before departing for London on May 24.

According to the latest FIFA rankings, Nigeria is ranked 26th in the world, Jamaica 71st, India 136th, and Zimbabwe 130th.

The tournament format means Jamaica or India could potentially face the Super Eagles in the final if Nigeria overcomes Zimbabwe in their semi-final clash.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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