Last year’s runners-up Haile Selassie will host Eltham in the quarter-final of the ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup competition in Tavares Gardens.

Eager to erase the memory of their defeat last season, Haile Selassie is determined for redemption. On the opposing side, Eltham eyes this quarter-final matchup as a crucial step towards championship glory.

Assistant Coach Ira Hemmings expressed confidence in Haile Selassie going into the game.

“It is another competition for us because we are out of the Manning Cup, so we just have to go out there and execute to the best of our abilities and ensure that we win the game,” he said.

Despite recognising challenges, Hemmings says that the team is determined to put on a good showing, particularly as the Walker Cup represents the only trophy they can win this season.

“Playing at home in front of our home fans will also give the players a lot of confidence because it is always good to have the 12th man in the stands, so we are coming for this victory on Wednesday,” he said.

Haile Selassie will depend on Captain Joshua Dewar, Kyle Williams, and Kevin Hibbert.

Wolmer’s is also set to take on Kingston Technical at Mico University College.

Wolmer’s coach, Jerome Waite, anticipates a tough game from their opponents.

“The objective is to see how far we can go in this competition,” he said. “But you still have players not being optimistic about this competition because nowadays they classified the Walker Cup as the ‘Losers Cup’, but I believe that if you are not qualified for the Manning Cup, then come out and give it your best shot and see how far you can go in this competition.”

Waite emphasised the importance of the bracket format, focusing on scoring goals and maintaining a clean sheet.

“It is a knockout competition, so the key factor is to score goals and keep a clean sheet, and that is our aim,” he said.