HIGHER HEIGHTS

WITH Khadijah “Bunny” Shaw now recognised as a top three player in women’s football, former Reggae Girlz Head Coach Charlie Edwards believes the national senior women’s team should reach another level and move closer to being a serious contender at the FIFA World Cup. Manchester City striker Shaw is still celebrating her third-place finish in the Ballon d’Or Féminin rankings on Monday at the awards ceremony in London. The achievement adds to her Women’s Super League Player of the Season, Professional Footballers Association Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year recognition, which she claimed over the past few months for her impressive 2025/2026 season. Shaw won her third-consecutive WSL golden boot after scoring 21 goals in 22 games, leading City to their second-ever league title. Her 35 goal contributions across all competitions were also pivotal in City’s FA Cup title win. Along with her club objectives, Shaw is looking to lead Jamaica to a third-consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup in November, as the Reggae Girlz takeonCostaRicaintheConcacaf W Championship quarterfinals in Texas, USA. Edwards, who led the national team from 2007 to 2008, told the Jamaica Observer that Shaw’s Ballon d’Or ranking must be used as a stepping stone for the Reggae Girlz to better their finishes at previousWorldCupappearances. After failing to advance from the group stage on their debut in France in 2019, Jamaica made history by reaching the round of 16 in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, where they were narrowly beaten by Colombia. “Now that [teams] are realising that we have a top-class player, it is going to force coaches now to start sitting down, putting game plans together to play against Jamaica,” Edwards said. “But what I’d love to see it do, though, is motivate the rest of the players in the squad to step their game up and propel Jamaica to another level.” “The last time [at the World Cup] we made the final cut for the round of 16. I’d love to see us get back to the round of 16 and win a game or two and I really don’t think it’s far-fetched. I think we have the quality in the squad that can perform and do well, so let’s hope that this becomes the momentum or the drive behind us performing even better in the World Cup, once we get to the World Cup.” Shawhasanincredible67goals in 49 caps for the national team and Reggae Girlz Head Coach Hubert Busby says their success in future tournaments depends heavily on their captain. “If you look at the stats of what shemeanstoManCitywhenshe’s intheline-upandwhatshemeans for us when she’s in the line-up, they’re almost the same — they’re about a 75 win percentage, she averages a goal a game per programme. So, there’s no getting away from the impact that she has, both at Man City and with the national team,” he told the Observer. “We’re a different team when she’s in there, there’s no doubt about it. Teams have to play us differently, we can play differently. When you have one of the best players in the world, it’s only natural that she lifts the ability, or not so much the ability, but she lifts the confidence of the group. Also, she inspires a group both on and off the pitch so she’s our leader and when she’s with us, you can see what an impact she has on the team.” Edwards, who also won 12 women’s league titles with Barbican FC, says Shaw’s Ballon d’Or ranking shouldn’t only have animpactonthepitch.Hesaysthe Jamaica Football Federation and other stakeholders must use the accolade as a springboard to help boost women’s football locally. “This is a momentum that Jamaica could use in a very significant way in the sense of motivating the young, talented female players in Jamaica. You’re looking at the Women’s Premier League, you’re looking at the high school [level] — this is mileage that we need to capitalise on and utilise it in a very significant way to help develop and grow what we are working so hard to accomplish,” he said. “I personally think her accomplishment should create a lot more inspiration for the young players in Jamaica and maybe evenaroundtheCaribbean.What she has done is shine a light where nobody else in the Caribbean has ever shone light. I really hope that they capitalise on it and realise that if we can produce a Ballon d’Or third-place finisher, young girls will say if I work hard enough,IcouldbethenextBunny Shaw and that is a mentality that I want the young players to start adopting.”