PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A 22-man Caledonia AIA left here Friday for the Cayman Islands where they will contest the second round of qualifiers in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship starting today. Caledonia will do battle in Group 4 with three other teams comprising two-time defending champions Puerto Rico Islanders, Group One winners and host club George Town and Haiti’s Baltimore who advanced as the best runners-up from the three groups.
The top two sides will advance to the four-team final round, following the five-day tournament at the TE McField Sports Centre in George Town.
Caledonia were scheduled to face Defence Force at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Thursday night, a game coach Jamal Shabazz said would be good preparation for his side ahead of next week’s fixtures.
“We cannot ask for a better match or opponent to help up get ready for a tournament like that because all our matches against Defence Force are tough battles,” he said.
The CFU outing will be the second straight appearance for Caledonia in the competition and their third overall.
In their first appearance last year since 1998, Caledonia reached the quarter-final round before being knocked out by Haiti’s Tempete, 3-2 on penalty-kicks after both teams had secured 1-0 home wins in their home-and-away series.
Caledonia and Islanders were handed first round byes while Baltimore got the better of Guyana’s Alpha United from Group Two.