Whitmore reflects on France ‘98 double on anniversary of feat

Kingston, Jamaica - On the anniversary of his fantastic brace that gave Jamaica a 2-1 win over Japan at the France ‘98 World Cup, Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore recalls the occasion with fresh enthusiasm.

In Lyon before 39,100 spectators inside the Stade Gerland on June 26, the gangly Whitmore scored a goal in each half, firstly with the right boot, and for good measure, he repeated the feat with the other to give the Reggae Boyz a sensational win over fellow debutantes Japan.

Japan striker Masashi Nakayama got his team’s consolation goal. The Jamaicans had earlier lost group matches to Croatia (3-1) and Argentina (5-0).

But Whitmore, who is today the head coach of the Reggae Boyz, made sure Jamaica left an indelible imprint on World Cup folklore with his flashes of brilliance.

“In the Japan game we went out there to restore some pride... myself and teammates Ricardo Gardner, Ian Goodison and others were discussing the whole campaign and they said to me that I started the qualifying campaign by scoring the first goal in a 1-0 away victory against Suriname, and they said I have to come up with something special to end the campaign.

“So my plan was to get a goal in the game and that motivation came from the players...  but then I got two, and to tell you the truth, I was even going for the hat-trick. But more importantly, we told ourselves that we couldn’t leave the Greatest Show On Earth and don’t leave something to talk about,” Whitmore said on Tuesday.

The former Tranmere Rovers midfielder said scoring at the World Cup is no easy feat, and for him to get two in one game underlined the magnitude of the achievement.

‘“That memory will stay with you forever knowing that you are in the World Cup and scoring a goal because many great players have come to the World Cup and did not score a goal, and to see a Theodore Whitmore from Jamaica in the country’s first World Cup getting a goal, was simply tremendous,” said Whitmore, savoring the occasion.

The wily player, who also had a professional stint with Scotland’s Livingston FC, said it was a dream come true when Jamaica created history and qualified for the World Cup on that November evening in Kingston in 1997.

“It was a great feeling realizing that we were actually going to be playing in the World Cup… when you look back that you have always been watching the World Cup and dreaming about playing in it, and now that it is real and that I am going to be playing in it, was the greatest feeling,” Whitmore recalled.

The Reggae Boyz had drawn 1-1 with Mexico to book their spot to France ‘98 behind the United States and the Mexicans to become the first English-speaking Caribbean team to qualify for football’s showpiece.

For the ongoing World Cup in Russia, Whitmore said he does not have a favorite team, but said he is using the experience to learn as he aims to get Jamaica to a second senior World Cup, with the immediate target being Qatar 2022.

“I really don’t have a team in the World Cup, I am more watching and learning and to see some of the things we (Jamaica) can do to be in the next World Cup.

“But I must confess that I like the Belgium team because I think they are a complete unit... also, I like Croatia,” Whitmore posited.