JC get started in Manning Cup against C’bar
Published:Friday | November 12, 2021 | 12:09 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
The 2021 ISSA Manning Cup football competition kicks off today, and defending champions Jamaica College (JC) face Calabar High at Ashenheim Stadium, starting at 3 p.m.
The competition will be making a return after the cancellation of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twenty-two schools have been entered in this year’s competition, with the preliminary matches being played at the Stadium East playing field, Ashenheim Stadium, and the Spanish Town Prison Oval in St Catherine.
JC, who will be seeking their 32nd hold on the title, won the competition in 2019 after defeating St Andrew Technical High School 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in full and extra time.
JC head coach Davion Ferguson said they had a good preseason despite the COVID-19 restrictions.
“I am excited that the competition is going to get started, and I am excited for the youngsters because it is an opportunity to play,” he said. “In terms of the preparation, we are confident, and we are hoping for a positive result against Calabar.
“This is a young team with young players, but they are very talented. They are disciplined, they are hungry, they are eager, and they are ready to deliver.”
EXPECTING A TOUGH CONTEST
Ferguson said that he is expecting a tough contest from Calabar because they have always produced good players.
JC have retained three players from their 2019 squad.
Calabar head coach David Lalor said he is also happy for the competition’s return, and his players are looking forward to an exciting game against JC.
“I expect it to be tough,” he said. “JC is one of those teams that has been training for months. We have only gotten about three weeks of solid training in.
“It will matter on the day, but I expect my team to do well based on the response I have been getting from them in training.
“We have a new crop of youngsters that we have retrained in our system, and they have prepared and they are talented, so I expect them to do well in this season’s competition.”
Lalor said that like most of the schools, the pandemic has had a negative effect on the team’s preparations.
“Some of the guys were not training because of the vaccination mandate, but we have fixed it and they are back in training,” he said. “They would have missed a couple weeks, but we just have to see what the first game against Jamaica College looks like and just hope for the best.”
Today’s games:
Group A
Jamaica College v Calabar 3 p.m.
Group B
Camperdown v Dunoon 12 p.m.
Excelsior v Tivoli 3 p.m.
Jonathan Grant v Jose Marti 12 p.m.
STATHS v St Jago 3 p.m.