Jamaica launched their 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League campaign dramatically at the National Stadium, twice recovering from a goal down before a stoppage-time winner sealed all three points. It was not a polished performance, and for long spells Guatemala’s Oscar Santis looked capable of winning the match on his own, but interim head coach Rudolph Speid will take the character his side showed. The result that came with it.
How the goals went in
The home crowd was barely settled when Guatemala struck. Santis broke away and dribbled unchallenged almost from the halfway line into the 18-yard area before slotting past the hapless Andre Blake. It was a jarring start and exposed a Jamaican midfield that had not yet found its shape.
Jamaica slowly grew into the contest and found their equaliser in the 37th minute. Luton’s Kasey Palmer capitalised on a defensive error and poked home the ball to draw the Reggae Boyz level at 1-1 heading into half-time.
Speid’s half-time changes transformed the game. He introduced Kaheim Dixon and Renaldo Cephas on the wings, injecting pace and precision, playing more direct, and their impact was almost immediate. In the 53rd minute, Dixon created an opening, and Palmer slipped a first-time ball to Burrell, who buried a low shot into the far corner, marking his first for the campaign.
Guatemala were not finished. In the 67th minute, Darwin Lom provided an astute pass, setting up Santis, who manoeuvred around the goalkeeper to score his second goal of the match and make it 2-2.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Jamaica produced the decisive moment. With five minutes added, substitute Cephas struck in the 94th minute after collecting a sumptuous pass on the edge of the box to slot home a well-taken side-foot shot to give Rudolph Speid’s Reggae Boyz all three points. The winner arriving after the Guatemalan defensive line made an error.
Jamaica player ratings formation 4-2-3-1
Andre Blake (GK) – 6/10
The captain could do little about either Guatemalan goal. On the opener, he was left completely exposed by the absence of any challenge in front of him, and on the second, Santis had time to take the ball around him. Blake was otherwise steady, commanded his area on set pieces, and his distribution helped Jamaica settle when the visitors pressed. Not a night for heroics, but a composed presence.
Richard King (RB) – 6/10
King was solid in the defensive duels on his side and offered an outlet going forward, particularly once Cephas arrived to give him a runner to combine with. He was occasionally caught high when Guatemala broke quickly, which is the risk with Jamaica’s full-backs pushing on, but his energy never dipped.
Joel Latibeaudiere (CB) – 5.5/10
A mixed evening. Latibeaudiere was comfortable in possession and helped Jamaica build from the back, but he, like the rest of the back line, will not enjoy watching Santis’ opening goal again. Guatemala’s transitions caused problems all night, and the defensive line too often looked stretched when the ball was turned over in midfield.
Damion Lowe (CB) – 7/10
Jamaica’s best defender on the night. The key moment came shortly after the opener, when Santis had a great chance to restore Guatemala’s lead minutes later, but a last-ditch block by Lowe averted the danger. Had that gone in, the evening could have looked very different. Lowe was aggressive in the air and organised those around him, and his experience showed as Guatemala pushed.
Ronaldo Webster (LB) – 6/10
Webster was tidy and willing, overlapping when the chance came and tracking back diligently. He was not a major attacking factor, but he rarely looked in trouble one-on-one and kept things simple. A dependable, if unspectacular, outing.
Isaac Hayden (RM) – 6.5/10
Hayden brought his Premier League and Championship experience to bear, doing much of the unglamorous work of shielding the defence and recycling possession. His positional discipline became more important once Jamaica went ahead and Guatemala chased the game. He was part of a midfield that was bypassed too easily early on, but he tightened things up as the match wore on.
Karoy Anderson (LM) – 6/10
Anderson showed flashes of his quality with neat passing and a willingness to carry the ball forward. He worked hard to cover ground but at times struggled to impose himself physically in the middle of the park. There is plenty to build on for the young midfielder.
Tyreece Campbell (RW) – 5.5/10
Campbell showed his pace in patches but struggled to find consistent end product against a well-organised Guatemalan defence. He was one of two players withdrawn at half-time, and the immediate improvement brought by his replacement underlined that it was the right call on the night.
Kasey Palmer (LW) – 8/10
Jamaica’s star performer. Palmer was the man who pulled the Reggae Boyz back into the match twice over, first by pouncing on a Guatemalan error for the equaliser and then by providing the clever first-time pass for Burrell’s goal. He looked to take responsibility whenever Jamaica had the ball in the final third and drilled a low effort just wide of the upright as the hosts ended the first half on a high. A goal and an assist before he was substituted midway through the second half, and he was unlucky not to take the individual honours.
Javon East (CAM) – 4/10
East found it difficult to get on the ball in dangerous areas and was largely kept quiet by Guatemala’s compact midfield. He made some intelligent runs, but the service and connection with Burrell were limited. He was replaced at the break.
Rumarn Burrell (ST) – 7.5/10
A lively, hard-working display from the QPR striker, capped with a well-taken goal. His finish was clinical, and he continued to be a threat afterwards. He had a good shout for a penalty in the 56th minute, but the referee waved play on, and moments later he turned a Cephas cross over from 12 yards. He might have had two on another night, but his hold-up play and movement stretched Guatemala throughout before he was substituted in the 72nd minute.
Substitutes
Renaldo Cephas (on for Campbell, 45′) – 8/10
The match-winner. Cephas changed the dynamic of the game from the moment he came on, giving Jamaica directness and width on the right. He supplied the cross that nearly brought Burrell a second goal and then showed the composure to finish in the dying moments. His name will be remembered from this night, and he has made a strong case for a starting role.
Kaheim Dixon (on for East, 45′) – 7/10
An influential introduction. Dixon created the opening that led to Burrell’s goal and brought energy to Jamaica’s attack. He was shown a yellow card shortly after coming on for a foul on Jose Morales, but that aside, his impact was exactly what Speid wanted.
Clarke (on for Palmer, 65′) – 6/10
Came on to help see out the game and kept his discipline in a tense final period. A solid shift.
Cadamarteri (on for Burrell, 72′) – 6/10
Worked hard to press from the front and kept Guatemala’s defenders busy as Jamaica pushed for the winner. Limited opportunities but played his part in the late pressure that forced the decisive error.
Coach
Rudolph Speid – 7.5/10
Speid deserves real credit. His double half-time change was bold and decisive, with Dixon and Cephas both directly involved in the goals that followed. He will be concerned about how easily Guatemala broke through in transition, but his tactical adjustments won the match. Jamaica now lead the group with maximum points, ahead of Honduras and Suriname, who drew 2-2.
Man of the Match: Oscar Santis (Guatemala) – 8.5/10
Despite finishing on the losing side, Santis was the best player on the pitch. His solo run for the opener was outstanding; his composure rounding Blake for the equaliser was clinical, and he was a constant threat on the break. Without Lowe’s crucial block. He could easily have finished with a hat-trick. Guatemala will rue their late defensive lapse, because Santis had done more than enough to earn them a point.
It was far from perfect, and Jamaica’s defensive vulnerability in transition will need work before the group’s tougher tests. But showing the resilience to come from behind twice, and the belief to keep pushing until the 94th minute, is exactly the kind of statement a new campaign needs. The 71st-ranked Jamaica plays 66th-ranked Honduras next Monday at the National Stadium before heading to El Salvador on Friday, 2 October 2026. Honduras lost 3-2 to Suriname, while El Salvador battered Martinique 3-1.
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