Chicago Red Stars forward, Cheyna Matthews, was selected to join the Jamaican Women’s National Team for the team’s Olympic qualifying matches against Canada September 22 and 26.

The matches will be the first fixtures for Matthews and the Reggae Girlz since their history-making 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup run. Prior to 2023, neither the men’s nor the women’s Jamaican National Team squads made it out of the World Cup group stages. The trailblazing Reggae Girlz did not record a loss in the 2023 group stages, drawing 0-0 with international powerhouse France, winning 1-0 against Panama and drawing 0-0 with Brazil to deliver the star-studded Brazilian side’s earliest World Cup exit since 1995. Jamaica was knocked out in the round of 16 following a 0-1 loss to Colombia.

Matthews joined the Red Stars in 2023, previously appearing on Racing Louisville’s 2021 squad. This season, the Georgia native has earned three starts in 12 appearances across all competitions, recording 370 minutes. Matthews was key to Chicago’s 4-2 win over the Kansas City Current April 15, forcing an own goal in the 60th minute and assisting Penelope Hocking’s goal seven minutes later to deliver the rookie’s first professional brace.

Canada will play the Jamaican Women’s National Team in Kingston, Jamaica Friday, September 22, and again Tuesday, September 26, in Toronto, Canada. Both teams earned the right to play in this final phase of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris due to their performance in the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, where Canada finished in second place and Jamaica bested Costa Rica 0-1 in the third-place match.

Matthews is the fourth Red Star to be called up to represent their country in the upcoming September international window, accompanying goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher, defenders, Tierna Davidson and Casey Krueger, for the United States and midfielder, Bianca St-Georges, for Canada.