REGGAE Boyz Andre Blake and Kemar Lawrence, who play in Major League Soccer in the United States, recently had deals to move to the English Premier League fall through because Jamaica isn’t ranked high enough on the FIFA rankings.

Jamaica are ranked 61, but according to criteria imposed since 2015, the Reggae Boyz have to be ranked within the top 50 in the world for such transfers to happen.
The Reggae Boyz have not been ranked in the top 50 for more than a decade and the outstanding Blake, who is the goalkeeper for the Philadelphia Union and Lawrence who is a fullback at New York Red Bulls are the latest Jamaicans to be denied opportunities because of the rule change.
According to football website Goal.com, “Premier League sides Brighton and Crystal Palace made multi-million dollar offers for Blake this past summer after his outstanding CONCACAF Gold Cup showing. Unfortunately for Blake and the interested clubs, the deals fell apart because Blake doesn’t qualify for a U.K. work permit. The main reason for Blake’s inability to secure a work permit? Jamaica’s low FIFA ranking.”
Blake has expressed frustration over the missed opportunity caused by things that are beyond his control.
“I knew everything all the way, and it’s such a tough situation but I can’t get too worked up over it, even though it’s a very good opportunity I’m missing out on. Maybe it’s not time yet, or maybe it wasn’t meant to be. I’ve just got to keep working hard and maybe someday, somehow, if it’s supposed to be, it will happen,” he said.
Lawrence, who was also a key member of the Reggae Boyz, which became the first Caribbean team to make consecutive finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, said this wasn’t the first time he was missing out on an opportunity because of his country’s poor FIFA ranking.
“It’s hard to know that you want to play in that top division, that top league, and you can’t get to go because of stipulations like that. It’s their rules and you have to live by it,” he said.
“We talk about it on a regular basis, but these things take time. More than one time opportunities like that have presented themselves for me, but we already know that if they’re not talking about a $10 million or $11 million transfer it’s a no-no for Jamaican players in England.”
According to Goal, more suitors are expected to line up for Blake who is nearing the end of his MLS contract, and unless Jamaica make it into the top 50 by then, his frustrations will continue.
“It’s super tough, but it’s something I can try my best to change,” Blake said.
“I can’t do it on my own, but that’s part of my job as captain, to make sure we go in and take every game very seriously, and for the guys to understand that ‘Listen, it’s not just for me, it’s for everyone. If we have better rankings it will open up opportunities for everyone’.” (Sportsmax.com)