After semi-final heartbreak in 2023, Garvey Maceo Head Coach Lester Hibbert says destiny was on their side as they advanced to the final of the 2024 ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup.

The “Cubanz” got the better of last season’s finalists Glenmuir 4-2 on penalties in Wednesday’s semifinal at the National Stadium, after a goalless 90 minutes sent the contest to the dreaded penalty shootout.

Both teams saw their opening penalties saved but would convert their following two.

However, Garvey Maceo goalkeeper Garfield Tomlinson would come up big to deny Glenmuir’s Ja-Son Whyte with teammate Wilton Williams scoring the winning penalty.

Garvey Maceo lost on penalties to champions Clarendon College last season but Hibbert was happy to come out on the winning side this year.

“What God showed us is sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. Last year wasn’t our destiny to go to the finals but this year God created a better destiny for us to have this joy and this feeling because last year, we were going through heartbreak,” Hibbert said.

“One of our greatest motivation was that Glenmuir said they were coming to give us 6-0. We are bitter rivals; myself, the assistant coach and the physio are past students so what we did today is for the Cubanz family,” Hibbert added.

Despite winning back-to-back Champions Cup titles, Glenmuir Head Coach Andrew Peart says the defeat is hard to stomach.

“This one will be tough. I must be frank, our objective was to win the daCosta Cup and we haven’t won it so we didn’t meet our objective based on what we had in front of us,” Peart said.

“It’s just a tough one but irrespective of how it is, we have to digest it, we have to accept it. Congratulations to Garvey Maceo and as Glenmuir, we move on.”

Garvey Maceo will play McGrath in the final at the National Stadium on Saturday.