Late drama sends Jamaica to Unity Cup final as Nigeria and Ghana lock horns in London Jollof derby

Jamaica sealed their place in the final of the 2025 Unity Cup with a dramatic 3-2 win over Trinidad & Tobago in a pulsating semi-final clash at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, Soccernet.ng reports.

In a contest packed with twists, turns and late drama, the Reggae Boys raced into a 2-0 lead before Trinidad & Tobago mounted a spirited fightback — only to be undone by a stoppage-time penalty.

Hull City midfielder Kasey Palmer put Jamaica ahead in the 25th minute from the penalty spot, a lead they carried into half-time.

It doesn’t get much cooler than this panenka from Kasey Palmer!

The @HullCity man gives Jamaica the lead from the spot pic.twitter.com/SW8Dps0vOW

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) May 27, 2025

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Just eight minutes into the second half, Rumarn Burrell doubled the advantage with a composed finish past 40-year-old goalkeeping veteran Marvin Phillip.

However, Trinidad & Tobago responded almost immediately. Within a minute, Isaiah Leacock halved the deficit with a powerful strike. And the comeback was complete when former Columbus Crew star Kevin Molino netted a fine equaliser to make it 2-2.

The stage seemed set for extra-time, but Jamaica had other plans. In the fourth minute of added time, defender Richard King kept his cool to convert a dramatic late penalty, handing the Reggae Boys a spot in Saturday’s final.

RICHARD KING CLOSED THE SHOW WITH COMPOSURE ⚡️

Our Boyz take game 1️⃣ against Trinidad & Tobago in the Unity Cup with the last kick of the game!

Drop a ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/44T83LQV8q

— Official J.F.F (@jff_football) May 27, 2025

They will now face the winner of the highly anticipated semi-final between West African giants Nigeria and Ghana, who meet at the same venue today, Wednesday, May 28.

The clash — latest serving of the “Jollof Derby” — promises to be fiery. The last meeting between the sides saw Nigeria claim a 2-1 friendly win in Marrakech shortly after their run to the Africa Cup of Nations final. Ghana, in contrast, exited the tournament at the group stage.

Ademola Lookman and Cyriel Dessers were the scorers that day, but Lookman, along with talisman Victor Osimhen, has been excused from this match. Dessers, however, is available and expected to lead the Super Eagles’ frontline, with the Rangers striker set to play a pivotal role against the Black Stars.

The winner will earn a place in Saturday’s final against a confident Jamaican side, while the loser will contest the third-place playoff against Trinidad & Tobago.