Jamaica's Ricardo Fuller (second left) is poised over the ball while Costa Rican defenders Victor Cordero (right) and Randal Azofeifa (second right) look on during their friendly international at the National Stadium, last Wednesday night. Victor Nunez gave Costa Rica a 78th minute lead, while Tyrone Marshall equaised in injury-time for the hosts in the 1-1 tie. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer.

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is reporting a gross profit of $30 million from the friendly international against Costa Rica, staged last Wednesday at the National Stadium.

The preliminary figures released include ticket sales, sponsorship and broadcast rights. However, the JFF is still awaiting returns from three ticket outlets, as well as returns from corporate sales, to finalise its receivables.

It projects a net surplus of $12.2 million, which is inclusive of game sponsorship from Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB). This, the JFF indicates, will assist the administration to offset monies relating to their recently announced 2008-10 budget of $1.3 billion and current liabilities inherited from the previous administration of $105 million.

Expenses

According to the release, preliminary net expenses from the event totaled $17.8m and includes $6.9m in expenses directly relating to the Reggae Boyz. These expenses include air tickets totalling $2.4m, hotel accommodation and meals amassing $2.3m and incentives and fees of $2.2m.

The release further indicated that expenses relating to the Costa Rican team, including air tickets, match fees and hotel accommodation and meals, totalled $6.5 million. Other match expenses relating to match officials, security and gate operations, ticket sales, entertainment, printing of tickets, hospitality, advertising and promotions and stadium rental fees, amounted to $4.4 million.

Appreciation

The JFF again expressed "appreciation and gratitude" to title sponsors JMMB for answering the late call for game sponsorship support and their associate sponsors Digicel, Jamaica National Building Society, National Commercial Bank, Red Stripe, Wisynco, Grace Kennedy Courts, Air Jamaica and the Jamaica Urban Transit Company.

They also thanked the European based players for making the sacrifice to travel for the game in economy class. These economy tickets had a cost on average of $220,000. According to the JFF, checks made with the airlines for the cost of business class tickets, for the March 26 friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, reveals an average price of $520,000 each. The JFF is adamant that they will do all that is within their power to secure an airline deal that will significantly reduce this cost.

- K.H.