Defending Pro League champions San Juan Jabloteh eased into the CFU Club Champions Cup Final Round with comfortable 3-1 victory over Inter Moengo Tapoe on Monday night at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium, Suriname.
The Pro League club responded harshly, netting three goals to trash the Surinamese 3-1 at the final whistle—a much better result than the Champions Cup Second Round first leg in Trinidad won by Jabloteh 2-1.
Ataulla Guerra, Robert Primus and Cyrano Glen were on Monday’s scoresheet helping Jabloteh to a 5:2 aggregate victory and a place in the Final Round to be held in Trinidad from May 15-17.
The Caribbean Club Champions Cup will qualify three teams to next season’s CONCACAF Champions League.
“I told the guys before the match to enjoy themselves and we went out and did that,” said an elated Earl Jean on Tuesday morning, hours after their return to Trinidad.
“I am really proud of them. I was ecstatic over the victory as coach (on Monday night) but it’s the players who deserve the credit.
“We played under harsh conditions, the lighting was poor, and (Inter Moengo)Tapoe’s players were playing with malicious intent. So to come back from going under very early and being the better team...I give the guys all the credit. With all that’s going on in the club and not having Terry (Fenwick) in Suriname, the guys led my Marvin (Oliver) did a great job.
“At the end of the day we have to protect our livelihood, showing our sponsors that they have invested in a good club and we did that,” ended the Jabloteh stand-in player/coach.
Meantime fellow Pro League compatriots W Connection are scheduled to leave Trinidad on Wednesday evening for connecting flights—through Panama and Santo Domingo—to Haiti for Friday’s rescheduled fixture against Cavaly Sportif.
The match was originally set for Monday 20, however flight problems for W Connection to Haiti saw a shift in date for Friday 24 with the possible venue being Cavaly’s home ground—Stade Sylvio Cator Ground, Léogâne or the Haitian National Stadium.
W Connection are in the driver’s seat for a place in the Final Round following a 3-1 win at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium on Easter Monday against Cavaly Sportif.