Entrepreneur Cedella Marley officially tendered her resignation as global ambassador for the Reggae Girlz on Thursday (January 4), citing a worsening rift between the senior women’s squad and administrators at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

Marley, CEO of Tuff Gong International, said she was disappointed with the “noncommital” tone of JFF executives in recent months amid its ongoing impasse with the Reggae Girlz team and concluded that the federation is no longer receptive to any attempts at reconcilation.

Marley, voicing her disappointment in a letter addressed to the JFF, advised she is willingfully terminating her nearly 10-years stint as ambassador.

Cedella Marley, whose efforts raised more than US$2.75 million towards the development of the sport for women and girls, was first announced as global ambassador in 2014 under the stewardship of late JFF president Captain Horace Burrell.

The resignation is just the latest setback to affect the Reggae Girlz as their years-long dispute with the national football body drags on. Most recently, in October 2023, the JFF suspended its senior squad selection days before a Women’s Gold Cup qualifier against Panama, in response to the Reggae Girlz’s refusal to play until outstanding payment obligations were made.

The boycott, according to the squad, stems from monies not turned over following Jamaica’s historic knockout stage exit at the FIFA Women’s World Cup last summer.

FIFA indicated that team members are each due US$30,000 for making it out of the group stages and into the round of 16, where the Reggae Girlz lost 1-0 to Colombia.

See statement in full:

“Next month will mark ten years since my youngest son brought home a flyer from his soccer coach about the U20 Reggae Girls. That flyer was the impetus for my initial query into women’s football and all of the amazing things that have happened since [Captain] Burrell first shared his vision and asked me to work alongside him as Global Ambassador for the Jamaica Women’s Football programme. When I accepted the role I pledged that I would “bring help, I will bring support; I will bring funds, and I will do all within my power to make sure that our senior reggae girls get what is possible for the campaign to the 2015 World Cup in Canada.”

Sin[c]e 2014, the joint support of the Bob and Rita Marley Foundations along with a list of great partners has allowed for us to invest more than US$2.75 million dollars in the growth and development of Jamaican women’s football. We have worked diligently with the Federation to build a solid women’s programme. The results of this work speak for themselves as the Reggae Girlz have gone on to literally make history- not once… not twice, but repcatedly.

That being said, I must express my disappointment and growing concern with the turn things have taken in recent months. After the world cup. I was under the impression that we all were committed to working together to build on that success. However, the ever-widening rift between the JFF and the team is very alarming. Numerous overtures to each of you to voice my concern and try to assist with a resolution continue to be met with noncommittal, generic response.

The current state of affairs leads me to conclude that the federation is neither receptive to nor interested in my current manner of support. Therefore, I am tendering my resignation as Global Ambassador, effective immediately.

Going forward, I will continue to support the development of Jamaican women’s football under the Football is Freedom initiative.”