Six-time kings Paradise will be tested by the youthful Barbados Defence Force (BDF) Sports Programme in the feature football quarter-final of the KFC Knockout Cup at the National Stadium today.
In the other two matches, seven-time winners ICE Wales are favoured to advance to the semi-finals when they meet Bagatelle at 4 p.m. while at 6 p.m., six-time kings Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame will be guarding against an upset by improving third division side L&R United, who have done really well to reach this stage.
The fourth quarter-final was scheduled for Briar Hall last night between Cosmos and Crompton.
After holding their nerve to defeat Mackeson Brittons Hill in a penalty shootout last Tuesday night, Paradise now face a tricky encounter as they seek to secure a semifinal spot.
The BDF side, consisting of some of the country’s most talented young footballers, comfortably won the Rémy Martin Division 1 competition last Wednesday to regain their Premier League status.
This match will definitely be a battle between defence and attack as the BDF’s national pair of strikers, Mario Harte and Kyle Gibson, face a Paradise defence comprising Barbados captain Barry Skeete and national teammates Jonathan Straker and Andre Bourne.
In addition, Paradise’s defence is boosted by the rugged Mark Cox, former national player Stuart Hall, and Jamar Thomas.
Stuart’s brother Kent Hall has been masterminding Paradise’s play in midfield and he will have the support of Karl Cole, Cody Mark and Marcus Marshall, who has come into his own this year as a wide midfield player and goalscorer.
In the evening’s opener, Wales’ strike trio of Dwayne Stanford, Dwayne McClean and Kemar Headley, with Paul “Soup” Lovell pulling the strings in midfield, may be just too strong for the Bagatelle defence of Nicholas Collymore, Shane Simmons, Troy Brathwaite and defensive midfielder Nicholas “Allan” King.
Bagatelle have lost their way after an encouraging start to the season and their cause may not be helped as first-choice goalkeeper Mario Albert may have to hurry to the Stadium after representing CGI Sandy Crest Maple in a Sagicor General Super Cup cricket match against ESAF Pickwick at Foursquare in St Philip.
Notre Dame, whose defence of John “Nobby” Parris, Rommell Brathwaite, Bryan Neblett, Carl Joseph and Kemoi Seale will be extremely hard to penetrate, should win the second game comfortably against the inexperienced L&R United side, which consists of footballers from the Long Bay and Ruby districts in St Philip.
