Jamaica’s Minister of Sports Olivia Grange led a diplomatic intervention on Monday night to prevent Reggae Boyz Kemar Lawrence and Norman Campbell from being deported from Costa Rica where the team is set to play that country’s national team in World Cup qualifying action on Wednesday night (September 8).

Lawrence and Campbell did not possess valid visas and were not being allowed entry into the Central American country where the Reggae Boyz will be seeking to get their first points in the campaign after back-to-back losses to Mexico and Panama.

However, Grange and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade managed to avert the crisis through diplomatic channels.

“We worked through diplomatic channels. Our ambassador in Mexico City and the Costa Rican ambassador in Kingston; they had been working together and communicating to help the two players, who unfortunately were found to not meet the immigration requirements on arrival in San Jose, to receive special dispensation to be allowed entry,” the minister said.

Hours later, the two players were allowed entry.

Jamaica lost their opening match 2-1 against Mexico last Thursday. They were drubbed 3-0 by Panama at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday. The results have triggered calls for the resignation of head coach Theodore Whitmore and puts further pressure on the beleaguered executive of the Jamaica Football Federation.