Hall to remain with Reggae Boyz

THE WEEKEND STAR has been reliably informed that coach Paul Hall will be in charge of the Reggae Boyz for their upcoming friendly match against Catalonia on May 25.

A source inside the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) says Hall will also be at the helm for the Reggae Boyz's Concacaf Nations League matches against Suriname and Mexico next month.

It is understood that Hall, who was a member of the Reggae Boyz team that qualified for the FIFA 1998 World Cup in France, is set to pen a contract with the JFF next week.

The Reggae Boyz will play away to Suriname on June 4, before facing them at home on June 7. They then take on Uruguay in an international friendly on June 11, before facing Mexico on June 14 at the National Stadium.

Hall took charge of the Reggae Boyz in December on an interim basis after the departure of Theodore Whitmore, who was at the helm for the first eight games of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The team had only one win from those games.

In a recent interview with STAR Sports, JFF President Michael Ricketts said while they have had discussions with various candidates, Hall has been the front-runner for the job and there is movement towards removing the interim tag.

"We have had some extensive discussions with some prospective coaches, but I can hint to you that Paul Hall is the leading candidate," Ricketts said at the time. "And we are preparing a contract and we will be making an announcement in short order."

Ricketts that the finalisation of a long-term deal for Hall would be dependent on the Technical Committee's assessment, but he said that he is optimistic that the approval of Hall would just be a formality.