Jamaica Player “Failed Drug Test” in Hexagonal Match. MLS Stars All Cleared

The Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) has confirmed that one of its players failed a drug test after a World Cup qualifier in the Hexagonal CONCACAF Group which also includes the USA and Mexico.

The Reggae Boyz lost the game 2-0 in Honduras, but that now seems to be irrelevant and the game would have been awarded to the Hondurans anyway.

In a statement on the JFF website, the Federation acknowledged the positive results:

On the 23rd July, 2013 the JFF received the following notification from the Chief Medical Officer of the FIFA:

“During the World Cup Qualifying match, Honduras vs Jamaica, on June 11, 2013 a member of the Jamaican squad returned an adverse analytical finding on his urine sample.”

The testing was carried out by the FIFA. This means that the ensuing process will be managed by the FIFA. The player has been informed and we await further information from the FIFA.

The JFF has taken this matter very seriously and a thorough investigation has already started by the chairman of the JFF Medical Committee.

Yours sincerely
JAMAICA FOOTBALL FEDERATION

The player is as yet unnamed but this may be done shortly to clear the innocent of any suspicion.

However Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, told The Gleaner newspaper of Jamaica that the player did not play in the match against Honduras after which he tested positive:

“I think there are extenuating circumstances, because the player in question did not even play in the game. It is a sensitive matter and we have to try and protect the player and everybody, but I hope that things will work out in a way where it won’t affect him.”

If Burell is being quoted correctly by the Gleaner, then the player comes from within this group:

Dwayne Miller, Andre Blake, Montrose Phinn, Keammar Daley, Evan Taylor, Omar Daley, Jermaine Hue, Jeremie Lynch, Garath McCleary

Among the players representing Jamaica that day were MLS stars Ryan Johnson and Donovan Ricketts of the Portland Timbers, Darren Mattocks of the Whitecaps and Je-Vaughn Watson of FC Dallas, all of whom played and are therefore cleared.

A Portland Timbers spokesman confirmed the club had no knowledge of any of their players being the player involved. Vancouver Whitecaps has confirmed it is not Darren Mattocks.

The full playing squad that day was:

Donovan Ricketts, Daniel Gordon, O’Brian Woodbine, Alvas Powell, Adrian Mariappa, Marvin Elliott, Jermaine Johnson, Damian Williams, Je-Vaughn Watson, Theo Robinson, Rodolph Austin, Jermaine Beckford, Ryan Johnson, Darren Mattocks

Alvas Powell who is on loan to the Timbers from Jamaican club Portmore United also played. Andre Blake of the UConn Huskies was on the bench as a back up goalkeeper.

Six stars who play in the English league set up also appeared or occupied the bench: Jermaine Beckford (Bolton), Theo Robinson (Derby), Gareth McCleary (Reading), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday), Rodolph Austin (Leeds), and Adrian Mariappa (Reading).

The game was on June 11 although it appears the JFF only received notification on July 23.

It is a further blow to the nation’s sporting reputation after Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson were confirmed to have tested positive for oxilofrine by their governing bodies.

Oxilofrine is a banned stimulant, among five other cases involving track and field athletes.

The day after the scandal broke Jamaican Football Federation technical director Alfredo Montesso and national under-20 coach Luciano Gama resigned.

Both are Brazilians and they announced their resignation on the JFF website. The statement there does not connect their departures to the doping test although the timing would seem to suggest the tests and their resignations are connected.