‘Girlz must win against Panama’

Former national women's coach Charles Edwards is enforcing the importance of Jamaica attaining nothing less than victory in their second group game against Panama on Saturday at 7:30 a.m., from Perth, Australia.

The Reggae Girlz are coming off earning a point against France in their Group F opener on Sunday, which head coach Lorne Donaldson called the best result in the country's football history - men or women.

However, Edwards opines that they will have to put all their energies into ensuring they get maximum points to progress to the round of 16.

"We need to win against Panama. If we lose, we are at the exit door waiting to go through. If we draw, it still leaves us with a mathematical outside chance, but going up against Brazil will be tough opposition," Edwards told STAR Sports.

The Reggae Girlz will battle Panama without captain Khadija Shaw, whose one-match suspension was confirmed by FIFA late Tuesday, Jamaica time, with her having been sent off in the game against France. National player Cheyna Mattews said that they would rally together to keep Shaw ready and motivated for their final group game against Brazil.

"It is a huge loss for us. She is a world-class player and our captain, but we have gone through so many things, so much adversity. We stick together as a team, and it is important to lift her right now and keep her motivated," Matthews said after the France game.

In addressing who will be called on to fill that void, Edwards says it would have to be a collective effort to provide a competent attacking unit to do the job against Panama.

"The coach has his work cut out for him. I think he has to come up with a collective attacking force. I don't think it will be (up to) one player," Edwards assessed.

Jamaica had the luxury of having that experience in February at the Cup of Nations tournament, where Shaw did not make the trip for personal reasons.

Edwards says Jamaica cannot afford to take the Central Americans lightly, given they have improved from five years ago when the Reggae Girlz defeated Panama to earn the final automatic qualifying spot for the 2019 World Cup in France.

"We are going to have a challenge on our hands. It is not like back in the day when you can knock them off and say it is just Panama. We can't think about it like that anymore," Edwards said.