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Concacaf Caribbean Cup: Mount Pleasant, Cibao set for tough showdown
August 18, 2026
Mount Pleasant Football Academy’s head coach, Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore, says his players will have to be at their best when they begin their Concacaf Caribbean Cup title defence against Cibao FC at the National Stadium today.
Mount Pleasant will face Cibao in Group B action, with kick-off set for 5 p.m.
The St Ann-based club will look to make a winning start to their campaign and build on last year’s historic triumph.
Cibao are ranked third among Caribbean teams, one place behind Mount Pleasant, and have established themselves as one of the region’s strongest sides.
“There’s a lot you can expect from the Cibao team,” Whitmore said. “They can be physical at times, and as much as you want to respect the opponent, we have our job as a team to do as well. We want to establish our game well out there.
“We want to defend as a unit, both in and out of possession. So, it’s an overall approach against the Cibao team.”
CONFIDENCE
Mount Pleasant will enter the match high on confidence after their recent success in the CFU Club Shield earlier this month.
Whitmore said the Club Shield gave his team competitive minutes ahead of the Caribbean Cup, but he is aware today will bring a higher level of competition.
“It was a good tournament, taking all things into consideration. It gave us some good competitive games, especially coming into a tournament of this magnitude. I think the guys are upbeat; we are looking forward to it,” Whitmore said.
“We know it’s two different competitions. This one, we are up against better opponents, but I think we are ready overall.”
NEW LOOK CIBAO
Cibao’s assistant coach, Santiago Beltran, shared Whitmore’s assessment, saying Mount Pleasant is “not an easy team”.
He said they are determined to leave with all three points, even with their squad of new faces.
“We have a new team with new players, so we’re preparing and training hard for this match,” Beltran said.
“We know that Mount Pleasant is not an easy team. They are a hard team with good players. We are so concentrated on being here, and we know we have to come and win this game.”
Cibao are currently joint second in Group B on one point, after drawing with Cavalier on opening day. Salcedo lead the group with three points, while Mount Pleasant are yet to play.
