TWO-TIME former premier league champions Wadadah open their quest to return to top-flight football along with Rivoli United, August Town and Volvo FC as the four-team Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) All-Island Confederation Play-offs kick off today.

Wadadah of St James, the Western Confederation champion, travel to the UWI Bowl to play August Town, the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) champions starting at 3:30 pm, while Eastern winner Volvo of St Ann take on South Central winner Rivoli United of St Catherine at Drax Hall.

Both Rivoli United and Wadadah are touted as the two teams to make a return to the Premier League but the urban champions are always a formidable unit, hence August Town must be in the reckoning and Volvo is the unknown team that could spring a surprise.

Rivoli were relegated in the 2005/06 season and again, along with August Town, in the 2009/10 campaign, while Wadadah last played Premier League football in 2006/07.

For Volvo, who made a failed attempt last year, it has been some 17 years that they last played top-flight football and, having the experience from last season, should be hard to deny a spot the second time around.

With the top-two teams advancing to the Red Stripe Premier League next season, it is important to get a good start and both August Town and Volvo will be aiming to utilise their home advantage.

Rivoli United, under the experienced coach Calvert Fitzgerald and with the likes of the lethal Devon Hodges, Anthony Greenland, Ricardo Knight, Fabian Gordon, Corey Burke and goalkeeper Shannon Barclay, have been impressive all season losing just once.

“We have a solid team and if we don’t go to the Premier League I would be very disappointed. The whole focus this season was to reach the Premier League,” said Fitzgerald.

Volvo coach David Pryce will be banking on Everton Marsh, Jermaine Wheldon, Christopher Green, Roshane Henry and Jamoul Stoddart to lead their victory quest.

Meanwhile, it should be a keen contest between August Town and Wadadah at the UWI Bowl between two teams bubbling with confidence.

Wadadah will be looking to join Montego Bay United from the west, while August Town aim to strengthen the all powerful urban teams of Harbour View, Waterhouse, Arnett Gardens, Boys’ Town, Tivoli Gardens and Cavalier.

Wadadah coach Daniel Ricketts, brother of Jamaica’s goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, was quoted as saying that “Montego Bay needs a second Premier League team… we have six games to go and we know it won’t be easy and the work is not yet over”.

He can look towards the much-travelled Loxley Thomas, Levardo Whyte, Damiane Reid, Alex McFarlane, Shaunovan Wilson for victory.

August Town, with Christopher Bender at the helm, have a lot of veterans with Premier League experience with the likes of Kevin Wilson, Oneil McDonald, Gerald Neil and Chauncey Delahaye.