Mount Pleasant set sights on Concacaf Champions Cup qualification

Sporting director of Mount Pleasant Football Academy Paul Christie says the Wray & Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Premier League (JPL) runners-up will be targeting qualification to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.

The St Ann-based club is aiming to be one of three teams in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup to book a place in the confederation’s premier club competition come next year.

Christie said the club is hopeful after seeing what fellow Jamaican club Cavalier achieved last season.

“Why not?” he said. “We’re taking that approach as our neighbours Cavalier, who are now the national champions, did it last season. Cavalier have done it, so there’s a pathway where we can also do it and we’re aiming to do just that.

“We’re in the preparation phases and we’re hoping to do Jamaica and the people of St Ann proud,” Christie said.

Mount Pleasant will contest Group A of the Caribbean Cup alongside Cavalier, Haitian outfit Real Hope Football Academy and Miscellaneous Police FC from Trinidad and Tobago. The group will be rounded out by this year’s winners of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Shield.

Christie said the team is currently in preparation as they are familiar with Cavalier and Police FC. He did say, however, the prospect of facing Real Hope does bring the opportunity of engaging an entirely new competitor.

“Mount Pleasant are privileged to be first and foremost a part of elite level of football in the Caribbean. We know a little about the Police FC team but we don’t know a lot about the Real Hope team. However, we have nine weeks to prepare and do our research. This is what we want and this is the moment that we’ve been waiting for,” Christie said.

According to Concacaf club rankings, Mount Pleasant are the second-highest ranked team in the Caribbean, behind Cibao FC of Dominican Republic and just ahead of SV Robinhood of Suriname and Cavalier.

Real Hope are ranked 14th while Police FC are at 26th in the region.

Despite this, Christie said rankings have no influence on the field and will not play a factor in his team’s preparations.

“We know that rankings only give you a sense of belonging but you have to go out there and execute on the particular day. The rankings show that we have been doing something good but at the same time, the rankings will be out the window when it’s a matter of who shows up on the day.”

The group stages for the Caribbean Cup are set to begin on August 20 with the final round of matches set for October 3. The final is scheduled for December with both finalists and the best third-place team qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup.