PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Fifteen clubs from the region will start the 2015 edition of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship which kicks off here today.

The clubs, two from Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, and Haiti, and one from Antigua and Barbuda, the United States Virgin Islands and The Bahamas, will compete in four preliminary round groups to be contested from today to next Monday.

They include Jamaica’s Waterhouse FC, who debuted in the tournament last year before being eliminated.

Waterhouse FC will start their campaign against Antigua & Barbuda’s SAP FC on today’s opening day at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

“Last year, for the CFU Club Championship, we went into the tournament very focused, well prepared with an intention to do well. What aided us was that most clubs in the region apparently did not know much about us in terms of competing effectively at that level. So we went in as the underdogs,” said club captain and national goalkeeper Richard McCallum.

“This year we are going in just as focused, but the level of [financial] support we had last year is missing this year. Nonetheless, our intention is to do just as good as we did last year, and hopefully we can take it much further.”

The group winners will advance to the final phase scheduled for May 20-25 in a straight knockout format.

The top three teams at the CFU Club Championship will secure berths to the CONCACAF Champions League.

Group One — Alpha United FC (Guy), Central FC (Tri), Inter Moengotapoe (Sur).

Group Two — DirectTV W Connection FC (Tri), SAP FC (Atg), Guyana Defence Force (Guy), Waterhouse FC (Jam).

Group Three — America FC (Hai), Montego Bay United FC (Jam), SV Excelsior (Sur), Club Sportif (Glp).

Group Four — Don Bosco FC de Petion Ville (Hai), Helenites Sporting Club (Vir), Unite Sainte Rose (Glp), Lyford Cay FC (Bah).