A meeting between Montego Bay United (Jamaica) and holder Central FC (Trinidad & Tobago) will highlight preliminary-round play in the 2016 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship after the groups and schedule were announced Thursday.
The sides participated in the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, but one or both of them will be eliminated from potential involvement in the 2016/17 edition, following their Group 3 encounter on February 28.
The CFU revealed that 14 clubs from eight member associations entered the competition that will open with a preliminary round consisting of two four-team groups and two three-team groups. The four group winners will advance to the final round, which will be contested at a single location April 29 – May 1, utilizing a semifinal, third-place match and final format.
The two finalists and third-place match winner will earn berths to the 2016/17 SCCL.
DirecTV W Connection (Trinidad & Tobago) is the only other team in the field to have qualified for the SCCL, participating on four previous occasions (2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16).
In the 2015 final, Central FC topped W Connection, 2-1, for its first international title.
2016 CARIBBEAN FOOTBALL UNION CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Preliminary Round
GROUP 1 (Ato Boldon Stadium -- Couva, Trinidad & Tobago)
Teams: DirecTV W Connection (host), CS Moulien (Guadeloupe), Inter Moengotapoe (Suriname), Atletico San Cristobal (Dominican Republic)
February 24, 2016: Inter Moengotapoe v CS Moulien; DirecTV W Connection v Atletico San Cristobal
February 26, 2016: Atletico San Cristobal v Inter Moengotapoe; DirecTV W Connection v CS Moulien
February 28, 2016: CS Moulien v Atletico San Cristobal; DirecTV W Connection v Inter Moengotapoe
GROUP 2 (Stade Sylvio Cator – Port-au-Prince, Haiti)
Teams: Don Bosco FC (host), La Gauloise (Guadeloupe), Somerset Cricket Club (Bermuda)
February 24, 2016: Don Bosco FC v Somerset Cricket Club
February 26, 2016: La Gauloise v Somerset Cricket Club
February 28, 2016: Don Bosco FC v La Gauloise
GROUP 3 (Montego Bay Sports Complex – Montego Bay, Jamaica)
Teams: Montego Bay United (Jamaica), Central FC (Trinidad & Tobago), Scholars International (Cayman Islands)
February 24, 2016: Montego Bay United v Scholars International
February 26, 2016: Central FC v Scholars International
February 28, 2016: Montego Bay United v Central FC
GROUP 4 (Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Teams: Club Atletico Pantoja (host), Arnett Gardens (Jamaica), America FC (Haiti), SV Notch (Suriname)
March 2, 2016: Arnett Gardens v America FC; Club Atletico Pantoja v SV Notch
March 4, 2016: SV Notch v Arnett Gardens; Club Atletico Pantoja v America FC
March 6, 2016: America FC v SV Notch; Club Atletico Pantoja v Arnett Gardens
FINAL ROUND (venue to be determined)
SEMIFINALS
April 29, 2016: SF1 - Winner Group 1 v Winner Group 4; SF2 - Winner Group 2 v Winner Group 3
MATCH FOR THIRD PLACE
May 1, 2016: Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
FINAL
May 1, 2016: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2