One dream ends, another continues. Jamaica clinched a 1-0 victory over New Caledonia on Thursday in their intercontinental play-off match at Guadalajara's Estadio Akron. They will now face DR Congo on 31 March at the same venue, with a place at the 2026 World Cup on the line.

A solitary strike from Bailey Cadamarteri, just after the quarter-hour mark, proved decisive. Jamaica, ranked 70th by FIFA, asserted their dominance from the outset against New Caledonia, 150th in the world rankings, with Bailey Cadamarteri and Tyreece Campbell leading their attack.

Their superiority told in the 18th minute when Ronaldo Webster struck a low free-kick from outside the box, which zipped under the wall. Goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine failed to gather it, and Cadamarteri pounced on the rebound, slotting the ball home.

The Wrexham striker himself missed a chance to double the lead in the 39th minute after a right-wing move saw him shoot towards the far post, but this time, Nyikeine held firm, denying him.

New Caledonia carved out their clearest opportunity three minutes before half-time when Andre Blake saved Jean-Jacques Katrawa's shot.

The second half saw a continuous end-to-end battle, with the Jamaican side creating the better chances, though Campbell and Cadamarteri lacked precision in front of goal.

In the dying minutes, New Caledonia pushed desperately for an equaliser, but their players' technical deficiencies ultimately prevented them from finding a leveller.

B. Cadamarteri

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