General manager of St Catherine-based Dunbeholden FC ,Roger Simmonds believes their upcoming participation in the Concacaf Club Championship is a massive opportunity for the club to establish itself on the international stage.

Dunbeholden, who will be playing in the competition for the first time, will face former two-time champions Harbour View FC in their opening match in Group B on August 23 at Sabina Park. The group also includes Athletico Pantoja and Cibao, both from the Dominican Republic.

Simmonds said that they are taking the competition seriously because they will be using it to get international recognition, not only in North America, but also from the rest of the world.

“I know that from last season and the season before people from as far as Africa reached out to the club and want to find information about the club, and so it will be even a greater stepping stone and massive achievement even if we can qualify for the next round of the competition,” said Simmonds.

“This is a very massive competition for the club because as first-time competitors at this level, we are optimistic and we are hopeful.

“We know that a number of the clubs in this competition have been there before, nevertheless, we think that we have the quality to compete at this level, and so we want to do well and we want to showcase our talent and so this will definitely be a stepping stone in the right direction for the club,” Simmonds added. Veteran Coach Lenworth “Teacher” Hyde will be the man at the helm of Dunbeholden when they take on Harbour View in their game next week.

Hyde, who has won the Premier League three times as a coach, replaces Harold Thomas who left the club at the end of last season.

Hyde, an outstanding former schoolboy and national footballer, won the Premier League as head coach of Hazard United (now Portmore United) in the 2002-03 season, Harbour View in 2006-07, and Tivoli Gardens in 2008-09.

Simmonds shared that the players have been working well in their build-up to the championships; therefore, he is expecting a very good showing in the tournament.

“The team is training well and the players are excited and raring to go. But we have a few minor niggling injuries here and there, but I know that we will be ready in terms of the physical preparations,” he said.

“They are also looking forward to the opportunity to showcase their talents on the regional and on the international scene as well and so they really want to be at peak performance throughout the competition,” Simmonds added