It will be a match-up of ‘David vs Goliath’ when reigning T&T Football Federation FA Trophy holder and three-time winner, Adam’s Construction Limited San Juan Jabloteh kicks off its defence of its title against Secondary Schools Football League East Zone winner, El Dorado East Secondary, nick-named the “Blue Thunder.”
It will be the first time Secondary School teams will be competing in the tournament since the early 1970s. The draw for the 36-team competition, which will kick off on January 21 and now in its 82nd edition took place at the T&TFF’s Dundonald Street, Port-of-Spain, office, yesterday.
Last year, Jabloteh registered its third lien on the trophy via 1-0 win over fellow Digicel T&T Pro League club, DirecTV North East Stars with Kennedy Hinkson, the scorer to land the $80,000 winner’s prize.
The 36 teams comprises, eight from the Digicel T&T Pro League, six from the bmobile National Super League, three each from the Eastern Football Association, Southern Football Association, Eastern Counties Football Union, Northern Football Association, Central Football Association and Tobago Football Association.
The three other zonal winners of the Secondary Schools Football League entered are St Anthony’s College, winners of the national League and Inter-Col titles as well as the North Zone League and Inter-Col; Carapichaima East Secondary (Central), and Scarborough Secondary (Tobago) while South Zone champions, Shiva Boys’s have not entered.
Round One
Saturday 21 January
FC Maloney vs WASA (Super League) – A
Uprising Youths (SFA) vs Caledonia AIA (Pro League) – B
Club Sando (Super League) vs Damarie Hill Re-United (ECFU) - C
Defence Force (Pro League) vs St Anthony’s College (SSFL) – D
Round Two
Saturday 28, Sunday 29 January
WASA (EFA) vs St Ann’s Rangers (Pro League)
Scarborough Sec (SSFL) vs 1976 Phoenix (TFA)
Caroni Samba (CFA) vs Stokely Vale (Super League)
Guaya United FC (ECFU) vs Harlem Strikers (CFA)
Carapichiama East Sec (SSFL) vs OJ Soldado All Stars (SFA)
North East Stars (Pro League) vs NFA 3
QPCC (NFA) vs Maloney/WASA (Super League) winner
W Connection (Pro League) vs KC Perseverance (CFA)
T&TEC (SFA) vs Clint Marcelle FA (NFA)
Police (Pro League) vs Youth Stars (TFA)
Uprising Youths/Caledonia (Pro League) winner vs FC Santa Rosa (EFA)
Mafeking United (ECFU) vs Defence Force (Pro League)/St Anthony’s winner
1976 Phoenix (Super League) vs Club Sando/Damarie Hill Re-United winner