Jamaican Rep Stripe Premier League 2018-2019 with players from 5 countries

Who is following the season 2018-2019 of jamaican Red Stripe Premier League is seeing some new faces. For this championship, newcomer Mount Pleasant FA, Montego Bay United, Harbour View FC and  currently champion Portmore United FC counts with International players for their roster. It wouldn’t be something new in majority of the leagues around the world, even in Trinidadian TT PRO League and Dominican Republic’s LDF. The news is that the league is counting with eight foreigners players.

Logo of Jamaican Red Stripe Premier League.

For Portmore United there are three surinamese, the International winger Donnergy Fer, winger Jerrel Wijks and Damian Brunswijk; for Montego Bay United there are the International for Bahamas Lesly St. Fleur and ghanaian center back Nicholas Amponsah; for Mount Pleasant FA there are St. Vincent & Grenadines international Kemron Osment and Panamian goalkeeper Joseph Vargas and the ghanaian goalkeeper Christian Kluvi for Harbour View FC.

We will try to understand what that means, what changes and what are the impacts of that for the development of the football and the league.

One of these footballers that arrives at the Reggae land, is the Surinamese winger Jerrel Wijks that plays for Portmore United. The 20-years-old joined the team since CONCACAF Champions League 2018-2019 from Inter MoengoTapoe in Surinamese Top Klasse. He told us that he was contacted by Portmore’s manager after disputing the CFU Club Championship in Dominican Republic. Wijks tells that he feels good in Jamaica and enjoy the country.

In comparation with the football in Suriname, the footballer says the football in Jamaica the clubs fight more for the win and the play is more stronger, “more cold-blooded in some moment”. The surinamese tells he was surprised with the passion of jamaican supporters and also consider RSPL as a good place that can provide the things necessaries to go forward in the professional career. “The supporters are great. I didn't expect that. I also see my progress, my aim is in an one or two years play in another country”, says Wijks.

Mount Pleasant FA’s panamian goalkeeper Joseph Vargas told he was contacted in June by a scout from MPFA that knew him when he represented Panama U17 in 2011. The 24-years-old says that Jamaica have quality and technical players but the physical performance is the strongest part. ”The differences between Panama and Jamaica is that in my country the football is more fast and technical and in Jamaica is more slow and tuff, more physical”, counts the goalkeeper. He also told is jamaican club have a good organization and a great staff.

Ghanaian center back Nicholas Amponsah arrived at Montego Bay United on August, 2017. He told he arrived at the club because his agent had a good relationship with MBU’s former coach Ron Underwood. He pointed out fourth things that he noted as different between Ghana and Jamaica Leagues:

1. The discipline level is low in Jamaica compared to Ghana in terms how players to referees on the field;
2. Te matches in RSPL can playing in the evening too but unless otherwise, this would’t happen in Ghana;
3. In terms of infrastructure wise, in Jamaica is better than Ghana when it comes to teams with their own pitches and matches; Ghana isn’t like that;
4. Here (Jamaica) is a little better than Ghana when it comes to player welfare, salary and bonus etc.

It is important for the big leagues in Caribbean provide the space for Caribbean footballers. That helps much on development of the region. The CONCACAF Nations Cup is a good place for the clubs find out some talents.