Arnett confident ahead of CFU Club Championship kick-off
Premier League champions Arnett Gardens FC left the island yesterday for the Dominican Republic a confident bunch as they try to qualify for the final round of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship.
The Jamaica Red Stripe Premier League champions are drawn in Group Four alongside home team Club Athlético Pantoja, Haiti’s America FC and SV Notch of Suriname. Only the winner of the group will advance to the next round.
Head Coach Jerome Waite and Club Administrator Gregory Hall left the island on Friday ahead of the rest of the party, so coaching responsibility was left with Assistant Coach Eugene Williams, who conducted the final training session on Saturday morning.
Williams, a former Arnett player, said he was pleased with the two-hour session.
“The players were relaxed and they are looking forward to the trip. The training wasn’t intense, it was a relaxing day to ‘free up’ their legs and minds,” said Williams.
Arnett Gardens are currently second in the Premier League with 50 points and will enter the tournament full of confidence.
“We can make the adjustment because we have couple players on the team with international experience and who played professionally overseas,” Williams said.
Although not much is known of Arnett Gardens’ opponents, Williams is unperturbed.
“It will come down to one thing and that is to win the group. So we will have to go with our minds set on only winning. We have to play to win because it is only one team coming out,” he reiterated.
“The vibes are good, they (players) are jovial and they just want to go and make the community and the country proud,” he added.
Arnett Gardens will open their campaign against America FC on Wednesday, before tackling SV Notch two days later and conclude with a match against Club Athlético Pantoja on Sunday.
If Arnett Gardens are successful, they will enter the final CFU round set for April 29 to May 1 in a straight knockout format to crown the champion of the Caribbean.
The top three Caribbean teams will qualify for the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League.
