-Cuba, Barbados, Suriname and the Netherland Antilles battle to get to DCC Finals

Tuesday, October 21 – Havana, Cuba:  Stage Two of the Digicel Caribbean Championships (DCC) is well underway as the second of the three groups in this stage – Group G – kicks off in Havana, Cuba, on Thursday.

Group G is made up of Cuba, Barbados, Suriname and the Netherland Antilles and over a three-day period, six matches (three double headers) will be played at the Pedro Marrero Stadium in Havana, Cuba.  Antonio Garcés, General Secretary of the Cuba Football Federation and former national player, says of the Federation’s preparations for the DCC, “The Cuba Football Federation has been very involved in developing Group G of the Digicel Caribbean Championships. The organizing committee is fully committed to making the tournament a success for football in Cuba.”

While Cuba’s national sport is baseball, the country also has a long history with football.  The Cuba Football Federation was founded in 1924 and Cuba was the first Caribbean team to qualify for the World Cup which they did in 1938.  Though it has not qualified since then, Cuba finished second in the Digicel Caribbean Championships in 1996, 1999 (known then as the Caribbean Cup) and 2005, and finished in the quarter-finals of the 2003 Gold Cup.

Garcés explains, “Cuban football is in the process of developing.  Internationally, Cuba competed in the qualifying round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and the 2008 Beijing Olympic qualifiers.  We are very hopeful for Cuba in this year’s Digicel Caribbean Championships.”

DCC Group G hosts Cuba along with Barbados, Suriname and Netherland Antilles will battle it out on Thursday, October 23; Saturday, October 25; and Monday, October 27; to see which two teams will be joining DCC finals’ host country Jamaica, DCC 2006/7 champions Haiti, and Group F finalists Guadeloupe and Grenada in December.

DCC Group G Fixtures

Pedro Marrero Stadium, Havana, Cuba

October 23 – 27

Thursday Oct 23:

3PM – Barbados vs. Suriname

5PM – Cuba vs. Netherland Antilles

Saturday Oct 25:

3PM – Suriname vs. Netherland Antilles

5PM – Cuba vs. Barbados

Monday Oct 27:

3PM – Netherland Antilles vs. Barbados

5PM – Cuba vs. Suriname

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