Jamaica’s final game of the group stage at the Concacaf Men’s Under 20 championship in Mexico has been moved back by a day after multiple teams were moved away from the Mexican city of Celaya after a police officer was murdered outside the Cuban team hotel.
The move was made by regional governing body Concacaf who announced changes to the match schedule and venues.
“Following a security incident outside of a team hotel in Celaya, and in an abundance of caution and to ensure the best possible experience for all participants, Concacaf, in coordination with the FMF, has decided to move the remainder of the tournament to the cities of Irapuato (Estadio Sergio León Chávez) and León (Estadio León),” read a Concacaf statement.
“No further matches will be played in Celaya.”
According to local reports, armed men pulled up on a motorcycle before opening fire on two police officers who were on duty guarding the hotel. Both officers were hospitalized in the aftermath, with one passing away.
Celaya’s Estadio Miguel Alemán Valdés was set to host the final matches for Group A — comprised of the United States, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Jamaica — on Thursday. Both prior rounds of play in the group took place in Celaya.
However, per the confederation, those games will be delayed by one day to July 26 in order for all parties to relocate to León, nearly two hours to the northwest.
Estadio León was not slated to host any matches, but will now be the site for both remaining Group A games, two quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the tournament final. All seven games had been slated to take place in Celaya.
Under the new schedule Jamaica will face Cuba at 3:06 pm Jamaica time on Friday after which Costa Rica face the United States at 7:30.
The top two finishers in each of the two group along with the two best third-place teams will advance to the quarter-finals. The four semifinalists will qualify for the 2025 Fifa Under 20 World Cup in Chile.
