Portmore United’s quest for a spot in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final faces a setback due to a dispute restricting Haitian teams from using stadiums in the Dominican Republic. The second leg of their semifinal match against Violette AC has been rescheduled for October 28, following a postponement linked to a government policy in the Dominican Republic.
Concacaf confirmed the revised date after the original match was halted due to the Dominican government’s ban on Haitian national and club teams competing in the country’s stadiums. The second leg will now take place at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, at 6:00 p.m. local time on that date.
This adjustment brings the match back to Jamaica after the Stadio Cibao in Santiago was initially set to host the fixture. Portmore heads into the encounter with a two-goal lead, having defeated Violette 3-1 during the first leg held at Sabina Park last Tuesday.
The postponement arose from a policy reiterated by Dominican Sports and Recreation Minister Kelvin Cruz on October 18. The measure was first enacted following a disturbance at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium on October 1, where Haitian supporters allegedly caused damage before a match between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Dominican President Luis Abinader approved the policy, and José Francisco Deschamps, the president of the Dominican Football Federation, announced that the federation would enforce this directive. This left Concacaf having to reorganize the semifinal as part of the regional club tournament’s qualifying competition.
In the first leg against Violette, Portmore United initially trailed after Jean-Fabrice Védrine scored for the Haitian side in the 39th minute. However, Javier Brown scored two goals in the second half, and Tedj Bryan added a third goal in stoppage time to secure the win for Portmore.
The adjustments in scheduling could potentially disrupt Portmore’s domestic commitments, as they are set to face Chapelton Maroons in the Jamaica Premier League on October 25, just three days before the continental clash.
In the other semifinal, defending champions Mount Pleasant FA will host Trinidad and Tobago’s Club Sando FC on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at Sabina Park. That match stands evenly poised after a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago. The two semifinal winners will meet in the Caribbean Cup final on December 1 and 5, vying for both the regional title and advancement in the Concacaf competition.
