Jamaica women boycott Gold Cup qualifiers amid pay row with the country's FA

Members of the Jamaica women's national team have released a statement condemning the Jamaica Football Federation and announcing they will boycott their upcoming games.

The Reggae Girlz are scheduled to face off against Panama and Guatemala next week as part of qualifying for the 2024 Gold Cup, but several of the nation's top stars will not feature as part of the boycott.

In the statement, shared by the multiple stars including Man City star Khadija Shaw, the players accused the JFF of 'constant mistreatment' and insists they felt it necessary to take a 'drastic stance'.

Led by Lorne Donaldson, the team qualified for just their second World Cup finals by reaching the tournament this summer and went on to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

The players also accused the JFF of 'unprofessional communication' in their statement pertaining to the appointment of Xavier Gilbert, who took over following Donaldson's departure last month.

The statement also alleges the squad have 'yet to receive full and correct payments for our historical performances at the World Cup' and 'numerous outstanding bonuses for qualifying in the summer of 2022.'

'While this has been one of the hardest decisions we have had to make, we feel it is necessary to take such a drastic stance to put an end to the constant mistreatment we receive from the Jamaica Football Federation,' the team said.

According to a report from ESPN, the JFF responded to the team which features WSL stars such as Manchester City's Khadija Shaw, in a memo which stated that the players will be suspended until the issues are resolved.

The JFF's memo also reportedly claims that the boycott is not consistent with the terms of the players' contracts, which states they must each individually contact the organisation if they intend on making themselves unavailable for selection.