Cuba, Haiti, Martinique grouped together for second round
NEW YORK Cuba, Haiti and Martinique will be joined together along with Suriname for the second round of qualifying for the Caribbean Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifying, the toughest of the three regional four-team groups.
In the groups announced Wednesday by CONCACAF, surprise second-round qualifier Guadeloupe was placed with Antigua and Barbuda, the Dominican Republic and Guyana while Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were combined in the other group.
Two teams from each group advance to the Caribbean Cup finals in Trinidad set for Jan. 31-Feb. 11, the third round of qualifying for the Gold Cup.
The third-place teams from each second-round group will move to a repechage round in December to determine the final side for the eight-team Caribbean Cup finals.
Although the schedules were not announced, the Cuba-Haiti-Martinique group will play Nov. 8-12 in Martinique, Guyana will host its group from Nov. 24-28 while Barbados will stage its group from Nov. 19-23.
Three teams from the Caribbean qualify for the Gold Cup finals in June
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Digicel Caribbean Cup second round groups announced
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The groups and venues for the final qualifying round of the Digicel Caribbean Cup were announced on Wednesday by the Caribbean Football Union.
The twelve teams that progressed from the first qualifying round have now been spilt into three groups of four teams with Group G based in Barbados, Group H in Guyana and Group I in Martinique.
The second round action will kick off on November 8 in Martinique. Joining the hosts in a tough-looking section are Group E winners Cuba, Group D winners Haiti and the runners-up from Group A, Suriname.
After an unbeaten performance in the first qualifying round, hosts Guyana will be confident of progressing from Group H containing Group F winners Guadeloupe, Antigua-Barbuda and Dominican Republic, the matches in Guyana kicking off on November 24.
St Vincent and the Grenadines? reward for knocking out holders Jamaica is a difficult assignment in Group G where they face hosts Barbados, Group C winners Bermuda and the Bahamas. The opening games in Barbados will be on November 19.
The top two teams from each group will qualify to join the hosts Trinidad and Tobago in the finals tournament in January 2007. The three third placed teams in each group will progress to a final qualifying group, the winner of which will fill the last spot in the eight team finals tournament.
While regional powerhouses like Cuba and Haiti will be confident of progression to the finals, the early exit of holders Jamaica from the tournament proves the adage there are no easy games in international football and the growing strength of football across the region.
While the second round matches do not kick-off until November, football fans across the region will have plenty of Digicel Caribbean Cup action to enjoy throughout October.
Full coverage of all the matches from USVI and the dramatic Jamaica group will be broadcast early in the month while highlights programmes chronicling the story and action from each of the first round qualifying groups will be broadcast from October 14.
One 30 minute programme will be dedicated to each of the qualifying groups (6 from the first round and 4 from the second) with programmes running weekly from the first airing date.
Commenting on Wednesday's announcement, CFU President Jack Warner was looking forward to more drama in the second round, ?We have had a very competitive tournament to date and I am sure that as we reach the final stage of the qualifying rounds in November that the interest and enthusiasm of fans across the region will continue to grow.?
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Cuba, Haiti, Martinique grouped together for second round
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