Rangers’ Kemar Roofe may have missed Jamaica call up via budget restraints
Kemar Roofe will remain at Rangers throughout the international break having been omitted from the Jamaica squad for their World Cup qualifiers.
The 29-year-old had been expected to receive the call for the nation’s final three games in the CONCACAF Octagonal group phase although they have no chance of qualifying themselves.
But the Light Blues striker was surprisingly left out and Voice Online believe there is a shocking reason.
“His (Jamaica manager Paul Hall) choice of players could let him down, and it would not be a surprise if his original selection was trimmed by the JFF (Jamaican Football Federation) as a cost-cutting exercise,” they write.
Roofe isn’t the only notable absentee with West Ham United’s Michail Antonio also not in the selected 24-man squad.
Baffling
Whether this was Hall’s decision or that of the Jamaican Football Federation, it is truly bizarre.
In what universe would you leave your two best strikers at home for competitive World Cup qualifiers?
Admittedly, they cannot make the Qatar World Cup in November regardless of what happens but they do have two very winnable games against El Salvador and Honduras on either side of a tough game against table-topping Canada.
When you see that there are a lot of players from Jamaican clubs or academies, you can’t help but assume that Voice Online are right in their assumptions.
It’s a crying shame for Roofe who deserves his chance on the international stage and this was a great chance to do that.
We can only hope that the JFF and Hall can select their truly best team sooner rather than later and the 29-year-old can get the recognition he has earned.
In other Rangers news, one player has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now a doubt for the Old Firm clash against Celtic.