Leighton Levy, Star Writer

JFF President Captain Horace Burrell is rubbishing media reports that the head coach of the Reggae Boyz, Winfried Schäfer, is under pressure to keep his job following the national team's 3-1 loss to Canada on Tuesday night.

Captain Burrell speaking from Central America where he is currently engaged in meetings said yesterday that the coach, who has only four wins from 15 matches since he assumed control of the national team in July 2013, is safe. "The coach is safe," said Captain Burrell. "Let me allay all fears, his job is safe."

The JFF president explained that the coach used the Canada match to give what he called 'fringe players' an opportunity to shine as a squad is being assembled to contest multiple tournaments in the near and distant future. "That is why he wanted the four years so that he could look at a number of players and build a squad," Burrell said. "The federation is very comfortable with Mr Schäfer."

The 64-year-old German coach took over the Reggae Boyz with four games remaining in the failed campaign to qualify for the World Cup that was held in Brazil this past summer.