Football On The Cayman Islands: National Coach Jap Tjong Wants To Play Like The Big Nations

Dutch in paradise

Most people probably only know the Cayman Islands as a tax haven and a holiday destination. National coach Joey Jap Tjong wants to promote football in the country. He talks to Transfermarkt about his unique experiences.

Although it was only a narrow 1-0 victory that the Cayman Islands managed to achieve against Antigua and Barbuda in the World Cup qualifiers at the beginning of June, this success was celebrated like a world championship title. The national team had never won a World Cup qualifier before. With Jap Tjong on the sidelines, they managed it for the first time.

“This victory was celebrated like crazy all over the island,” remembers Jap Tjong. “Suddenly, complete strangers started speaking to me. They called me ‘top coach’ or ‘our Dutch general’. Due to the developments of the past few years, football has taken a back seat. That’s why this victory is so important to show the population that football is on the up again.” The Dutchman had taken over as national coach on the Cayman Islands a few months earlier.

Cayman Islands national coach: Fear of defeat gave Jap Tjong the chance

After the island group had not developed further in football terms in recent years, the football association decided to take a new approach and signed Jap Tjong, who had visited the Cayman Islands for the first time in 2018. “At that time I was still a youth coach at Royal Antwerp and was booked for a training camp in the Cayman Islands. By chance I came into contact with Alfredo Whittaker, the president of the Football Association. We then exchanged ideas for a long time, I told him my ideas and thoughts about football,” the 56-year-old outlines the story of how he came to be a coach.

Whittaker explained to Jap Tjong that the Cayman Islands would be playing against Jamaica in a few weeks and that he was very worried that they would lose the match by double figures. “In the end, I flew to Jamaica and played my part in ensuring that it was only a 0-4 defeat. Since then, I have stayed in touch with those responsible and this year the opportunity arose to become national coach,” said the Dutchman, who suffered a stroke of fate on the day he signed the contract. “The day of the signing was both joy and sadness, because my mother died a few hours before I signed. I also dedicate the victory against Antigua to her.”

The euphoria over the first victory in a World Cup qualifier was clouded a short time later by strange circumstances surrounding the upcoming game. The island state’s next opponent was to be Cuba. But they never played the away game. The reason for this decision: Some national players from the Cayman Islands live in the USA and study at universities there, for which they need a student visa. Cuba has been classified by the USA as a state that supports terrorism since then-US President Donald Trump put the country back on the blacklist during his term in office. The result is that people who have visited Cuba since the beginning of 2021 can no longer enter the USA without a visa, which means that the players’ student visas can be revoked.

Tjong on the Cayman Islands: “There is incredible talent”

“If I’m honest, I was initially guided by my emotions and wanted to call the American ambassador. It can’t be that political decisions have sporting consequences. Everyone was angry, sad and furious at the same time. Politics should remain politics and sport should remain sport,” says Jap Tjong. However, he knows how to assess the situation of his players. He stresses: “It would have been worse if we had travelled to Cuba and thereby ruined the future of our young national players. We have now closed the matter and are trying to concentrate on the next game.”

Although football is one of the most popular sports in the Cayman Islands, there have been no major successes. The biggest so far was reaching the semi-finals of the 1995 Caribbean Championships. This is also reflected in the FIFA world rankings, in which the Cayman Islands are ranked 195th. “I am one of those people who see challenges as solutions and opportunities for growth rather than just problems. We just must not make the mistake of comparing the Cayman Islands with the Netherlands or Germany. Moreover, the conditions in the Cayman Islands are much better than in other Caribbean countries. When it comes to sporting equipment, the football association takes care of it immediately,” explains Jap Tjong, who sees himself as a kind of development worker for football in the country.

Another hurdle is the lack of professionalism in the country, as the league is more like a hobby league. Despite the numerous challenges, Jap Tjong sees many positive approaches and great potential. “The players are incredibly talented. I have seen many players who are very advanced in terms of technique. The problem in such small countries is that these talents do not receive any support. While in the Netherlands even small children receive training several times a week, it is difficult here,” says Jap Tjong. “The players do not need to be motivated, they all dream of playing in the big European leagues. Many cafés show the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga,” explains the coach, noting that the majority of his players have normal jobs.

Jap Tjong and the big dream of a duel with the Netherlands

“I’m an adventurer by nature. Life offers you so many opportunities, you just have to use them accordingly. The job on the Cayman Islands is attractive in many ways. But in the end it’s all about football. For me, football is medicine, meditation and passion all in one. When I go on the pitch, I feel connected to the world, like a fish in the sea,” laughs Jap Tjong, but admits that saying goodbye to the Netherlands was difficult for him. He has learned to love his new home: “I experience an incredible warmth from the people here. The people are very hospitable. For me, the Cayman Islands are an absolute paradise. The places I have visited so far are incredibly beautiful and make you forget everything around you.”

Many small football nations try to achieve success through a stable defense and quick counterattacks. Jap Tjong thinks further ahead and follows the example of the big countries that follow a clear game philosophy. “A coach needs a concrete plan and a strategy. However, you have to be aware that as a national coach I don’t have the time like a club coach. That’s why the plan has to contain lots of small building blocks and intermediate steps. This includes not only elements on a physical, tactical and technical level, but also on a human level,” says Jap Tjong, explaining his area of ​​responsibility. He is confident in his path and his players and has a clear goal in mind: “My absolute dream is to face the Netherlands with the Cayman Islands in the group phase of a World Cup.”

Interview by Henrik Stadnischenko