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THE second leg of Defence Force's Concacaf Caribbean Cup semis away to Jamaica's Mount Pleasant Football Academy has been rescheduled from October 29 to November 5 owing to the expected impact of Tropical Storm Melissa in Jamaica. Late on October 24, Jamaica's Met Office upgraded the country's alert level from hurricane watch to hurricane warning. Also on October 24, a Concacaf memo from chief football competitions officer Carlos Fernandez said, "Due to adverse weather conditions caused by Tropical Storm Melissa, and keeping the safety of the players, officials, fans and everyone involved in the organisation, Concacaf has decided to reschedule the following 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup semifinal matches." The other semis showdown, an all-Dominican Republic clash between O&M FC and last season's runners-up Cibao FC has also been rescheduled. Those teams were initially scheduled to play their semifinal ties on October 23 and 30, respectively. Cibao and O&M FC will now play their first leg on October 30, with the second leg scheduled for November 6. The first leg between the Army/Coast Guard combination and Mount Pleasant was played at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on October 22, with Defence Force being whipped 5-1 by a Mount Pleasant team which maintained their perfect record in the this year's Caribbean Cup. Raheem Edwards impressed with a brace for Mount Pleasant, with Kimoni Bailey, Shaqueil Bradford and Warner Brown also scoring in a ruthless display. Midfielder Kaihim Thomas grabbed a consolation for the Devorn Jorsling-coached Defence Force team in the final minute of second-half stoppage time. The second leg will be played at the National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica. The Defence Force contingent was originally scheduled to depart for Jamaica on October 27. The TT Premier Football League holders are scheduled to begin their 2025/26 league season against AC Port of Spain after press time on October 25. The Caribbean Cup champion will qualify directly to the round of 16 phase of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, with the second- and third-placed teams qualifying for round one of the Champions Cup.
