… 8 Nations, One Champion
THE cream of the Region’s top footballers will assemble in the French Colony of Martinique over a ten-day period in quest for the Caribbean’s most prestigious and coveted football prize – DIGICEL Caribbean Cup. The eight top nations, including Guyana, will be engaged in 16 games, anticipated to be highly entertaining, but resulting in one winner who will lift the Digicel Cup and walk away with  US$100 000.
There is also the added incentive for the top four finishers who will automatically qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup to be staged in the USA next year.
The 4th edition of the DIgicel Cup kicked off in October and lasted some nine weeks while producing 143 goals from the 39 preliminary games. Out of the 23 nations, six have advanced to join Cup holders Jamaica and hosts Martinique for the final stanza.
None of the elite eight vying for the envious title of Caribbean football supremacy is a newcomer to the Premier Regional Football finals initiated in 1989. In fact, three of the four nations to have so far lifted the Caribbean title are competing.
A glance, however, at the two groups for the November 26 to December 5 football showpiece of the Caribbean, set to kick-off tomorrow, would suggest that one group is stronger than the other.

Group H as in Horror   
The draw for this group could not have been any tougher with the most crowned Caribbean football champion T&T, former Caribbean kings and host Martinique, as well as Cuba and Grenada who have both contested the championship game more than once.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Champions –89, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99 and 2001
Runners-up – 91, 98 and 2007
– Despite not winning a Caribbean title since 2001 when they defeated Haiti 3-0 at home the Soca Warriors, currently the number one-ranked team of the Region, must be the top contender of the group after comprehensively winning all three of their 2nd round games.
Caribbean football legend Russell Latapy is one of two coaches who will be aiming to be the first player to win a Caribbean title as player and as coach and if one is to judge by his expressed confidence, T&T, the only nation to play in all Cup finals, will advance to the last four, unlike the last finals when they bowed out in the first stage in Jamaica.
Most of their overseas-based players ply their trade in the US MLS, but the key to their success must be the bustling centre forward Devron Josling who scored in all three preliminary games and is the leading marksman in the T&T Pro League. Latapy’s side is a very young one with several overseas-based players boosting the line-up with their experience.

MARTINIQUE
Champions – 93
Runners-up – 94
The home advantage could be pivotal in the Frenchmen reaching the semis, though they are coming into the finals on a high after winning the ‘La Coupe de L’outre-Mer de football’ in Paris recently with victory over former champions Reunion.
The tournament is a biennial one for national teams of former and present French overseas territories. The last two weeks were spent encamped and playing practice games against local club sides, but coach Guy-Michel Nisas admits the group is tough, “Group H will be difficult.
“Cuba, Grenada and T&T are all strong sides and present their individual challenges, but we are prepared”. Their inspirational captain, 33-year-old Patrick Percin with 46 caps and 15 goals will spearhead the challenge of a side determined to be crowned champions for a second time.

CUBA –
Champions – None
Runners-up – 96, 99 and 05
The ever-consistent Spanish-speaking Island was the first team from the Caribbean to play in a World Cup Finals when they participated in the 1938 Tournament and reached the 2nd round by beating Romania. They have the enviable record of being the only side to make it to the last four in the previous three Digicel Cup finals, but they will be hard-pressed to maintain that run after 2 draws and a win to qualify. In the last finals in Jamaica they battled to a 2-2 stalemate with Grenada in one of the semis, only to surrender 5-6 on penalities so a big grudge maych is in the making.
Cuba known for their resilience cannot be counted out and will certainly present a good test for T&T in the opener, the most worthy to begin with.

GRENADA
Champions – None
Runners-up –  89 and 08
The ‘Spice Isle Boyz’ suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Guadeloupe at home en route to the ‘Big Dance’, but will be pinning their hopes on English-based Delroy Facey and the experienced trio of Kitson Bain, Ricky Charles and Anthony Modeste to see them do a repeat performance or better of the 2008 finals when they lost 2-0 to Jamaica in the Championship game.
The Grenadians are known for playing exciting football and always spring a surprise when you least expect. The guidance of English coach Tommy Taylor is a boost, though advancing from this group looks very tight.
The two spots up for grabs from among these top four teams surely pose a hard prediction, but my mind tells me it will be T&T and Martinique who will move on.