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Jamaica fell in love with the Swaby sisters the same summer it fell in love with its Reggae Girlz.
At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Jamaica became one of the great stories of the tournament, picking up their first World Cup win, finishing ahead of Brazil in the group stage and securing their best finish by reaching the round of 16. At the heart of the defence that earned 0-0 draws with France and Brazil were sisters Allyson, now 28, and Chantelle, 26.
The story of two sisters playing centre-back together took on its own life and energy; their father, Lennox, even fielded interviews when Allyson scored the team’s first World Cup goal to defeat Panama 1-0.
“It’s funny because half the people didn’t know which one (of us) was which half the time,” laughs Allyson. “Some people might have thought that it was just one person. I don’t think either of us had thought about it that much but in hindsight, what we’ve done is really cool.
“I don’t think you realise, in the moment, how unique or special the situation is. Then, you get a bit removed and you’re, like: ‘We’ve done that and we’ve done that together’.”
Just over a year on, the pair speak from opposite ends of Europe. Allyson is in…
