Trivante Stewart in Top Form: Did McClaren Overlook Jamaica’s Hottest Striker?

With 8 goals in 10 matches this season for Israeli giants Maccabi Haifa, the resigned head coach may have overlooked one of Jamaica’s best attacking options. Now the question is whether Trivante Stewart will receive a call-up for the crucial World Cup playoff.

Stewart has now scored 8 goals in 10 league matches for Maccabi Haifa.

With Steve McClaren resigning after Jamaica’s costly 0–0 home draw with Curaçao, the Reggae Boyz now face a tougher road with their hopes of reaching a first World Cup since 1998 resting on the inter-confederation playoffs in March.

Reports of tense relations between McClaren and the Jamaica Football Federation including disputes over flight costs, political squad decisions, and roster management, have raised a serious question: did internal friction contribute to overlooking one of the country’s most in-form strikers?

Trivante Stewart, who joined Israeli Premier League giants Maccabi Haifa this summer in a €1.5 million move, has been on an impressive run with 8 goals in 10 matches this season. Playing under intense pressure each week in front of more than 30,000 fans, Stewart has emerged as one of the few bright spots in a team enduring a challenging campaign so far. It follows an impressive 2024/25 season in Serbia, where he netted 16 goals in 38 appearances for Radnički Niš.

The Spanish Town-born forward who played for Molynes United and Mount Pleasant before making his move to Italy with Salernitana in 2023 and later securing his breakthrough in Europe.

Meanwhile, another Jamaican striker thriving in Israel, Javon East, continues to produce for Maccabi Haifa’s city rivals Hapoel Haifa. He has already registered five goals this season and is regarded as a key figure in their attack.