CIBAO FC, a two-year-old football club from the Dominican Republic, are the new Caribbean Club Champions following their 1-0 victory over 2003 champions San Juan Jabloteh in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.
In the final played at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Richard Dabas scored the only goal in the 30th minute, to make Cibao FC the first team ever from the Dominican Republic to win an international title and qualify for the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
As runners-up, San Juan Jabloteh will play in the 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.
The history-making result was what the fledgling club had been aiming for. “Cibao is a new club and it is a great achievement for us to come here and go all the way to the final,” said Charles Herold, a 26-year-old Haiti international, prior to Sunday’s final.
“It will a major accomplishment for us to win the title and qualify for the Champions League. This will be a very big honour for football in the Dominican Republic if we can win the championship after just two years existing as a club and also moving into a big competition such as the CONCACAF Champions League.”
That wish has now become reality.
Meanwhile, former champions Central FC, who were going for a third straight hold on the title, had to be content with fourth place after they lost out in a penalty shootout to Portmore United of Jamaica.
Portmore United, the 2005 champions, outlasted Central FC 5-3 on penalty kicks, to capture the match for third place following a 2-2 draw after extra time.
Maalique Foster completed Portmore United’s run of five perfect penalty kicks to give his side third place. Sean de Silva’s miss on Central FC’s first attempt proved to be the difference.
Central FC scored the match’s first (Jason Marcano 5th minute) and last (Keston George 90th+2) goals, but it also conceded once in each half. Damion Binns (32nd) and Cleon Pryce (77th) netted for Portmore United.
Both Central FC and Portmore United will play in the 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF League. (Sportsmax)