Courtney Clarke scored the opening goal as Jamaica defeated India 2-0 on Wednesday night to set up a Unity Cup final rematch with Nigeria on Saturday, and he wasted no time declaring his side’s intentions going into the title decider, Footynaija.com reports.
Clarke finished a swift counterattacking move in the eighth minute, converting calmly past India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh to give the Reggae Boyz an early advantage.
Kaheim Dixon added the second goal 10 minutes from time to confirm Jamaica’s place in the final, setting up what will be a second consecutive Unity Cup final between the same two sides.
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Last year’s meeting ended 2-2 after 90 minutes before Nigeria edged Jamaica 5-4 on penalties to claim the title. The Super Eagles have now beaten Jamaica in all three previous Unity Cup encounters, a record Clarke and his teammates are determined to end on Saturday.
The Jamaican midfielder made no effort to disguise the objective.
“It’s just more of a thing where we just have to do what we do, keep our energy, stick to the plan, and let football do the rest. Just to keep working and try to beat Nigeria,” Clarke said in a report by Vanguard.
The message is direct and the motivation is obvious. Jamaica have featured in all four editions of the Unity Cup and are yet to win it, with their closest attempt coming in last year’s final before the penalty shootout heartbreak.
Saturday is their best chance yet, particularly against a Nigeria side missing most of its first-choice players.
Nigeria head into the final with a perfect Unity Cup record intact, having won all three previous editions, and Chelle’s fringe-heavy squad will be looking to make that four from four. Clarke’s words suggest Jamaica will not be making it easy for them.
