Top -seed Clarendon College and Kingston College (KC) will start favourites in today’s semi-finals of the cash-rich Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Champions Cup at National Stadium when they take on defending champions Cornwall College and former winners Jamaica College (JC), respectively.

Clarendon are set to meet Cornwall at 4:00 pm, while KC are slated to take on JC at 6:00 pm.

On form, Clarendon College and Kingston College, will come into their respective games full of confidence. But despite losing their most recent games, Cornwall College and Jamaica College will hope to upset the applecarts and set up a repeat of last year’s final.

The teams have met each other only once before in this competition. Cornwall beat Clarendon 4-2 in the 2016 semi-finals, while Kingston College edged Jamaica College 2-1 at the same stage a year later.

Today’s game between the Manning Cup teams is the first of two crucial games lined up as they will also meet in the semi-finals of the Manning Cup later.

Clarendon College, who are also in the semi-finals of the daCosta Cup, have been on a tear, beating Wolmer’s Boys’ 2-0 and St Andrew Technical 2-1. They will face a Cornwall College team that had to dig deep to win their first two games in the Champions Cup.

Despite dominating possession, Cornwall College had to wait until deep into stoppage time to beat Charlie Smith High 1-0, and then came from behind late to draw level with St George’s College 1-1 before winning on penalty kicks.

Cornwall College’s luck ran out in Wednesday’s daCosta Cup semi-finals, and despite dominating both possession and goalscoring chances, were beaten 1-2 by Dinthill Technical. They must improve if they are to challenge the super confident Clarendon College team which turned back a gallant McGrath High in their daCosta Cup semi-final outing.

Clarendon College have scored 20 goals in their last six games in the daCosta Cup and scored two goals in each of their two Champion Cup games played so far.

While their form in the Manning Cup would not cause much fear, Jamaica College, arguably the most successful team in the six years of the competition with three trips to the final, have been fluent in the all-island knockout.

Jamaica College smacked McGrath High 7-0 in the St Catherine school’s first game under lights in the first round then got by Excelsior High 2-1 last week in the quarter-finals.

KC, who are seeking only their second semi-final in three seasons, turned back Garvey Maceo High 2-0 in the first round and had to work hard to beat Frome Technical 2-1 last week, with an own goal and an injury-time winner.

Kingston College had rested a number of their regular starters against Frome Technical but are expected to be at full strength today facing their long-time rivals.

JC will hope Omar Thompson, who played for Kingston College last season, will be able to put his knowledge of his former teammates to good use.

Today’s games

4:00 pm — Clarendon College vs Cornwall College @ National Stadium

6:00 pm — Jamaica College vs Kingston College @ National Stadium