RITZING, Austria, CMC – A depleted Jamaica Reggae Boyz outfit endured a setback to preparations for the CONCACAF Gold Cup when Qatar beat them 2-1 in an international friendly on Thursday in Austria.
Shamar Nicholson pulled a goal back for the Reggae Boyz with a penalty on the hour at the Sonnensee Stadium after Homam Al Amin and Mohammed Muntari were on target in the 31st and 39th minutes for the Asian champions.
Both teams are preparing for the Gold Cup, with the Qataris the invitational side in the 16-team tournament that starts with the preliminary stage in the United States on Friday.
The Jamaicans are set to face Jordan on Monday in another friendly way before heading to the United States to start their Gold Cup campaign on June 24 against the host nation at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Defender Ethan Pinnock did not travel with the Jamaican side to the match because his wife is expecting to give birth soon, nor did striker Michail Antonio was given an extra week to rest after taking part in Europa Conference League final last week with the English Premier League club, West Ham.
Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey was also given extra time to recover from an injury, along with Fulham forward Bobby Decordova-Reid and Philadelphia Union defender Damion Lowe, and Minnesota United defender Kemar Lawrence was also unavailable because he does not have a Schengen visa to travel to Europe.
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