Basseterre, St. Kitts, 1st September, 2014 – The countdown to this week’s Caribbean Cup has started with members of the overseas based teams arriving in St. Kitts from early Monday morning.
First to arrive, according to officials at the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association, SKNFA, was Guyana, whose players touched down at the RLB International Airport just before 7:00am, followed at 10:30 by the Dominicans.
It is now confirmed that the members of the St. Lucia team will arrive early Tuesday morning, while referees and the Venue Manager have already descended on the island.
Team St. Kitts and Nevis has also been strengthened with the last batch of their overseas players arriving on Saturday afternoon.
It has also been understood that the final team for St. Kitts and Nevis is soon to be announced after the final picks were completed over the past weekend.
While the coaching staff has been kept busy with team training members of the SKNFA’s management have also being kept busy with various promotional activities and media appearances.
On Saturday, 30th August, a delegation, led by President Anthony Johnson headed to Nevis for a press conference and media interviews. Johnson, who was joined by the Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National Team, Jeffrey “Pedro” Hazel, and the Manager of the SKNFA Secretariat, Dexter Tyrell, also used the opportunity while on Nevis to meet with members of the Guyanese community on the island.
It is anticipated that scores of nationals of Guyana, who are now resident in St. Kitts and Nevis, will be turning out to support their countrymen as they do battle for a spot in the next round of matches.
In order to facilitate fans travelling from Nevis arrangements have been made for ferry services which will be provided by the MV Caribe Queen, leaving Basseterre, 30 minutes after the end of the final game on each day.
Local promoter on Nevis, Mikey Slack, has also arranged a special charter that will ferry football fans from Nevis each night, with guaranteed returned passage. Slack says he has put together an “all inclusive” package that covers return boat fees and the price of tickets and free on board refreshments.
To make it more affordable for fans, the association has introduced a special price offer, which will allow persons buying tickets in minimum groups of 20 to benefit from a $5.00 discount on each ticket, for any part of the stadium.
The St. Kitts and Nevis team is expecting stiff competition from the Golden Jaguars and the St Lucia national team which recently won the Windward Islands football tournament.
The tournament kicks off on Wednesday 3rd September with Guyana tackling Dominica from 5:30p.m and host St Kitts and Nevis competing against Lucia from 8:30p.m.
The 2014 CFU Caribbean Cup Tournament will feature matches in Zone Six here, on Wednesday 3rd, Friday 5th and Sunday 7th September.
Host nation, St. Kitts and Nevis will fight to the finish to earn a spot in the semi-final of the 2014 CFU Caribbean Cup.