DEFENDING champions Clarendon College (CC) and Kingston College (KC) will clash in a mouth-watering semi-final showdown in the ISSA/Wata Champions Cup at the National Stadium at 6:00 pm.

In the opening match of the double-header Jamaica College (JC) and St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) will battle at 4:00 pm.

This match will be a precursor to next Friday’s massive showdown between JC and STATHS as both teams are set to clash again in the Manning Cup final at the same venue.

The Lenworth “Teacher” Hyde-coached CC will enter today’s contest oozing confidence having defeated high-riding Mona 3-1 in their quarter-final contest last Saturday. KC got the better of Central High 2-0 in their quarter-final encounter.

The Raymond Watson-coached KC were dethroned of their Manning Cup title this season after their 3-2 defeat to STATHS in the semi-final of the Cup competition on Tuesday.

Despite this, Hyde said that they will not be taking their opponents lightly because they are still a very dangerous team.

“We cannot take them lightly because they are a very good team and so we have to look at how we are going to beat them,” said Hyde.

“This is the only trophy up for grabs for them now and so you know that they will be coming out hard — but we are prepared for that.

“We have also prepared our players mentally and physically because we have done our work already and so we just need to go out there and put in a workmanlike performance and win the game,” he added.

CC are in the final of this year’s DaCosta Cup competition where they will face Central High in a grand finale next Saturday.

Hyde stated that they are very determined to win the Champions Cup and DaCosta Cup competitions this year, therefore they will be firing on all cylinders today.

“We want to defend our title because we have put ourselves in this position to do that and in order for us to win this title we have to get to the final; and so KC is in our way and we just have to put our best foot forward against them,” he said.

“We have to be disciplined and we have to defend well because they have some very good attacking players. And so, it is going to be a very exciting game and we are looking forward to a good challenge,” Hyde commented.

On the other hand, Watson said his team is still very saddened by their defeat to STATHS on Tuesday but now have no other choice other than to go all out for victory today.

“We have no other choice but to win this game,” said Watson. “We just have to score goals and defend properly, and once we do that then we can definitely win this game,” said Watson.

“There are three phases of football — scoring, maintaining possession and defending — and once we do all three of those then we should win,” he added.