By Alexis Monteith 

The dramatic final day of the Liga F season in Spain saw the fates of two Reggae Girlz, Tiffany Cameron and Kayla McKenna, hinge on the results of their respective matches.

With both Real Betis Balompié Femenino and Villarreal CF Femenino facing the prospect of relegation,

Cameron’s Real Betis secured victory against UD Tenerife, guaranteeing their survival in the top flight while McKenna’s Villarreal fell short against Atletico Madrid and were relegated to the Primera Federación, the second tier of Spanish women’s football.

Despite arriving in Spain at the beginning of last season and facing contrasting fates with their clubs at the end of the campaign, both Jamaican internationals impressed on an individual level.

Mckenna concluded her season as the top goalscorer for Villarreal with 11 goals while Cameron scored six, the most by a Real Betis player.

They each had their standout moments. 

In October, Cameron scored the lone goal for Real Betis against none other than Real Madrid in her Liga F debut, a 5-1 defeat to the club from the Spanish capital. The forward also scored a brace of goals in April helping her team to a 3-1 win over Sporting Huelva and earlier that month she fired home the winning goal in a 2-1 win over Levante Las Planas.

McKenna scored the winning goal in a 1-0 derby victory over Valencia in February while in February the striker put one past the mighty Barcelona giving Real Betis a little consolation in a 5-1 loss. In November of last year, she registered a goal and an assist in Villarreal’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over Granada.

Villarreal signed her in the summer of 2023 and by January of 2024 they offered her a new contract which she signed extending her time with the team for another season until 2025. This demonstrated just how much she was appreciated by the club from eastern Spain.

The words of McKenna’s head coach, Sara Montforte Mestre, during a pre-match press conference a couple of months later, articulated the value of the Reggae Girl.

“She is a player who is giving us a lot,” Montforte affirmed. “Not even we could imagine her performance. And above all, I want to talk about her from here as an incredible professional who has come here to work, to be better, to compete, and on top of that, she is a very good teammate. She is an example for everyone.”

“And moreover if she scores goals or, more importantly, even if she doesn’t score goals, she still generates a lot for the team,” the head coach continued. “She is a player who generates a lot for the team, who holds the lines well, who is good, who offers a lot to her teammates, and on top of that, she works well. I’m telling you, she’s a professional like, I don’t know, I wouldn’t give her a 10, but an 11, because she is one of the best professionals I’ve ever had in my career as a coach, honestly.”

Cameron, who played a key role in her team’s survival in Liga F, also received recognition for her performances over the last season. 

The forward was recently interviewed by Portuguese football journalist José María Nolé for an article published in Futbol Portugués desde España titled Tiffany Cameron: “I want to show my love for football and how much I enjoy it”. In the interview, Cameron expressed satisfaction with her time at Real Betis, so far.

“There has been a lot of expectation for me, due to my experience,” Cameron is quoted as saying. “At first I felt it, but I am a calm, positive person who manages to give the best of myself. I feel at peace and confident. This season I have managed to play well and help the team, which is the important thing.”

Both players shone in their Liga F debut seasons, showcasing their talent and proving their place in the league. However, with their club fortunes diverging, Cameron will enjoy another year in Liga F with Real Betis, while McKenna, despite a stellar season with Villarreal that included double-digit goals, is looking at a step down to the Primera Federación next season.

It will be interesting to see if McKenna continues at Villarreal or if other clubs have taken note of her personal achievements and come calling.