Michail Antonio called up by Jamaica

Michail Antonio

 

Michail Antonio has been called up by Jamaica for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Panama. 

The West Ham United striker has been in fine form at the start of the Premier League season, scoring four goals and assisting three more in the first three games of the campaign. 

Now his form has been rewarded with his first international call for the Reggae Boyz, who are aiming to qualify for their first World Cup finals tournament since France 1998. 

Their campaign begins with a triple-header against Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica over the next two weeks, although Antonio – along with his fellow British-based players in Theodore Whitmore’s squad – will only be available for the home meeting with Panama on Sunday 5 September, due to Mexico and Costa Rica being on the United Kingdom's red list for travel. 

Jamaica were quarter-finalists in the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup, losing narrowly to the United States, who went on to win the tournament, and are now in the eight-team final round of qualifying for next winter’s World Cup. 

The top three will qualify directly for the finals in Qatar, with the fourth placed team heading to an inter-confederation play-off.