Xavier Gilbert, assistant coach of the Jamaica's Under-20 female footballers, said a lot of improvements are needed ahead of their final round CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, which will be held in Guatemala in January.

Gilbert, along with members of the junior Reggae Girlz aggregation - with the exception of head coach Vin Blaine - arrived in the island yesterday from Trinidad and Tobago, where they cemented their passage to the CONCACAF Finals.

Blaine is currently in Trinidad participating in a coaching seminar.

The junior Reggae Girlz ended the tournament unbeaten, in joint first place atop the standings with Trinidad and Tobago on seven points each.

Competitive

The Jamaicans opened their campaign with 1-0 win over Cuba, then defeated St Kitts and Nevis 2-0 before playing to a 1-1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago in final game last Sunday.

"We have to make sure that we keep the girls strong and competitive and work on their weak areas for this tournament," said Gilbert.

"I think we need to get a few practice games under our belts before the next stage in January in Guatemala because this is going to be a very tough round for us," he said.

However, Gilbert said he is confident the girls can qualify for the World Cup once they are properly prepared.

"I definitely think we can make it to this World Cup based on the abilities and talents of these girls," he said. "We also have a few of them that have played in the last World Cup and these ones are experienced.

"I think we have a lot of depth in this squad because we have a lot of quality players and these girls have shown that they are committed to our programme," he said.

Reflecting on the team's performance in Trinidad, Gilbert mentions that he was satisfied with their efforts despite trying circumstances.

Disappointed

"I am pleased with the way we defended and attack and the way we adapted to certain situations," he said.

However, Gilbert said he was not satisfied with every aspect of their play.

"I am disappointed with how we played in the early part of the competition because we took some time to get adjusted to the artificial turf; reason being this is first time that most of these girls were playing on it.

"Our plan was to go out there for the 270 minutes and not concede a goal. After 262, we conceded one against Trinidad and Tobago and we were pleased with this," added Gilbert.