Arising from an incident that occurred when Jamaica played the United States in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the National Stadium in November, the governing body for football has fined the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) 1,000 Swiss francs or about JMD$170,000.

As the match that ended in an exciting 1-1 draw drew to a close, a spectator sitting in the bleacher seats threw a plastic bottle that ended up near the running track.

A FIFA security officer at the match reported the incident, which resulted in a fine on the cash-strapped federation.

According to the FIFA ruling, “The Jamaica Football Federation is ordered to pay 1000 Swiss francs for the inappropriate behaviour of its supporters in connection with the match Jamaica vs USA played on 16 November 2021 in the scope of the Preliminary Competition for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, CONCACAF Zone. The fine is to be paid within 30 days of notification of the present decision.”

The JFF appealed the decision but the appeal was deemed inadmissible.

In its appeal, the JFF expressed regret at the incident while pointing to its constant appeal to fans through different means not to throw objects, as well as the limitations on the sale of refreshments inside the stadium.

In light of the fine, the JFF said it was once again reminding spectators that they must follow all outlined protocols once they are within the confines of the National Stadium on match day as another breach could threaten Jamaica’s hopes of hosting international games in the future.