Panama closes out Qualifiers campaign with victory over Jamaica | OneFootball

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – The Final Round of the 2026 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers concluded with Panama defeating Jamaica 3-1 in Group C at the Costa Rica Football Federation Field #2 in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Panama captain Cristabella Ríos broke the deadlock in the 25’ with a right-footed finish from the center of the box following a corner. 

Jamara Jones equalized for Jamaica in the 49’, capitalizing on a defensive mistake and slotting the ball at the bottom-left corner from inside the box.

Naomi Zafrani restored Panama’s lead in the 81’, bringing down a cross from Guillehely Distancia inside the box, before finishing off with a right-footed effort. 

Poppy Wakefield rounded out the result for Las Canaleras with a late strike in the 90’+1’. 

Panama concludes its campaign in third place in Group C with three points, while Jamaica finished in fourth place.

Post– Match Data

The Panama national team secured a meaningful 3-1 victory over Jamaica, a result that marked a milestone in the team’s history in the Final Round of the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers and allowed Las Canaleras to conclude the tournament with a memorable performance.

The match featured key individual achievements for the Panamanian side. Cristabella Naishel Ríos scored her third goal in tournament history, establishing herself as the team’s leading attacking figure in this edition. Meanwhile, Naomi Zafrani and Poppy Elizabeth Wakefield celebrated by scoring their first goals in the tournament, adding new names to the growing list of contributors within Panama’s women’s youth program.

With the result, Panama finished its participation in the Final Round in third place in the group, posting a record of GP-3 W-1 D-0 L-2, GF-5 GA-10, 3 points. Cristabella Naishel Ríos, with three goals, ended as the team’s top scorer, while Gabriela Victoria Rodríguez, with two assists, stood out as the squad’s primary playmaker.

The victory carried additional historical significance, as it represented Panama’s first win against Jamaica in tournament history, snapping a two-match winless streak against the Caribbean side. It also marked the sixth victory in 21 matches played by Panama in this phase of the competition and the first 3-1 final scoreline recorded by the team in tournament history.

For Jamaica, the highlight came from Jamara Jones, who scored her first goal in tournament history, becoming the only player from her national team to find the net in the current edition.

The Caribbean side concluded its participation in the Final Round in fourth place in the group (last place), without wins or points, finishing with a record of GP-3 W-0 D-0 L-3, GF-1 GA-13, 0 points. The 2026 edition became Jamaica’s tournament with the fewest goals scored (1) and the most goals conceded (13) in this stage and also marked the third time the team has lost all of its matches in a Final Round campaign, following similar outcomes in 2008, 2016, and now 2026.