Dominica’s Senior Women’s National Team, the Sisserou Girls, endured a difficult outing on Saturday, falling 18–0 to a dominant Jamaican side in their opening match of the 2025–2026 CONCACAF Women’s Qualifiers, played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Jamaica showcased their world-class talent and efficiency from early in the match, with multiple players finding the back of the net.
Notably, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw scored a first-half hat-trick, reaching 60 international goals, extending her record as Jamaica’s all-time leading scorer.
She was ably supported by Kalyssa Van Zanten and Jody Brown who both earned hat-tricks, while Deneisha Blackwood, Shaneil Buckley and Natasha Thomas added two goals each.
Despite the tough scoreline, Dominica returned from the locker room showing noticeable improvement. The Sisserou Girls tightened their defensive shape, and slowed Jamaica’s rhythm for periods very early in the second half.
However, Jamaica’s attacking unit, known for its speed, accuracy, and international experience, quickly regrouped and proved too strong as they continued to find goals late in the match.
Dominica’s Head Coach Ronnie Gustave acknowledged the challenge playing against an elite team as Jamaica but praised his team’s effort.
“That’s one the aspects of the game that we see how organised they were. And their speed of play was very, very intense. Their communication, their non-verbal communication on the pitch, you know, so you could see, well, it’s a team that have been together for a while. I mean, speaking to the coach as well, that even after the game, he said we should not get discouraged because they were once like us, so just keep the girls together and continue what I’m doing. And we’ll reach where they are at this point in time. But on our behalf, I figure there’s a lot of work to be done with the girls. And I know a lot of people will want to see results at this point in time. But it’s a process.”
“And the nice, the good thing about the game that I saw with the girls is that they keep fighting and they keep fighting for one another… They realised that if we have to do this, we have to do it as a team and we have to unite. So that is one thing we surely can build on, that the unity is there among the girls,” he added.
Goalkeeper and Captain, Dymond Daniel, expressed her gratitude to her teammates for not giving up and displaying a strong sense of unity throughout.
“Yes, with the tough loss against Jamaica, I just tried to tell the girls not to be too hard on themselves about this game. We knew the battle it was going to be going into the game and honestly, I think every one of them should be in a way proud because they did not give up. They fought until the last minute and I know everyone left their entire heart and soul on that pitch. So I just continue to tell them it’s a work in progress. When we get back home, it’s back to the drawing board to improve and to get better and be better prepared for the rest of the qualifiers.”
