MBU, Wadadah in tantalising KO clash
MONTEGO BAY, St James — One of the longest rivalries in St James football will be reignited this evening when Montego Bay United and Wadadah FC meet in the second game of a Captain’s Bakery KO quarter-finals at Jarrett Park.
In a game that will be dedicated to the memory of late Seba United coach Weston ‘Wesso’ King, Montego Bay United, which up to three years ago played as Seba United, will face their long-time rivals for the first time in at least three years.
In the first game set to start at 4:00 pm, Super League team Norwood Strikers and Senior League team Reggae Youths will meet for a place in the semi-finals.
Seba United and Wadadah established one of the best rivalries in the country in the late 1970s and continued through the next two decades when both were among the best in the country, winning five Premier League titles between them.
Several players from either team were also staples of various national teams for several years before they fell on hard times.
Seba, now Montego Bay United, have been in and out of the Premier League, but Wadadah have not graced the island’s top competition for several years.
Wadadah were very busy in the current transfer market, signing a number of experienced players, including former national player Keneil Moodie, Francoise Swaby — who has represented several Premier League teams — and Oliver Trail, who started the season with Montego Bay United.
The Daniel Ricketts-trained side is coming off a bye in the KO, but scored an easy 3-1 win over Petersfield in the Western Confederation Super League on Sunday.
Despite a 1-0 loss at Arnett Gardens in the Red Stripe Premier League on Sunday, Montego Bay United are one of the top teams in the country at present and are in the running for a place in the End-of-Round Finals, with one round of games to go.
Coach Dr Dean Weatherly will have a deep squad to choose from for today’s game and could call on the likes of Brian Brown, Leon Irving and Kemiro James to lead the attack.
In their two games played so far, they swamped Barrett Town, 14-0, then scored two late goals last week to beat Lilliput Rovers — the team that knocked them out in the first round last season — 2-0.
