From Antigua Observer

A party atmosphere filled the air in St John’s, Antigua, when the draw was made for the 2016 Soctiabank Men’s Caribbean Cup.

The Antigua night sky and trade winds, fireworks, dancers, a fire-throwing limbo dancer and soca artiste Tian Winter helped set the stage.

The event was held poolside at Sugar Ridge Resort with veteran sportscaster Lance Whittaker, from SportsMax, and Kirsy Rijo Charles Kullman, who performed bilingual duties, presiding over the draw.

The four CFU teams still in 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers – Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines – received a bye in Round 1.

The seven-group Round 1 draw is as follows:

Group 1 – Antigua & Barbuda; St Kitts and Nevis, and Aruba.

Group 2 – Grenada; St Maarten, and United States Virgin Islands.

Group 3 – Cuba; Bermuda, and French Guiana.

Group 4 – Barbados; Curaco, and the Dominican Republic.

Group 5 – Guyana; Puerto Rico, and Anguilla.

Group 6 – Guadeloupe; St Martin, and Suriname.

Group 7 – Martinique; British Virgin Islands, and Dominica.

Round 1 will be played from March 21to 29; Round 2 May 15 to-21; Round 3 October 3 to 11; Fifth Place Play-off November 7 to 15; and the finals are scheduled for May 2017.

CFU General Secretary Neil Cochrane showed off his lighter side as the master of ceremonies for an audience that included CONCACAF Acting General Secretary Ted Howard, CFU President Gordon Derrick and his Executive Committee Members, as well as the presidents and general secretaries of the CFU Member Associations, Minister of Sport in Antigua & Barbuda EP “Chet” Greene, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Sports Senator Colin James and FIFA presidential candidates Jérôme Champagne and HRH Prince Ali Al Hussein.

IMAGE: Making the draw: Veteran sportscaster Lance Whittaker (left) and co-host Kirsy Rijo-Charles Kullman (right) are assisted with the Round 1 draw by FIFA Executive Committee Officer and CFU Executive Member Sonia Bien-Aime (second from left). CFU Media officer Troy Gibson is also pictured.

For more on this story go to: http://antiguaobserver.com/groups-set-for-2016-scotiabank-cfu-mens-caribbean-cup/

Related story:

The Cayman Islands national football team will not be participating in the 2016-17 edition of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Men’s Caribbean Cup.

This will be the third straight Caribbean Cup that Cayman will miss.

Despite no reason given from the Caribbean Football Union, Cayman Islands Football Association acting President Bruce Blake says he will be looking to improve matters behind the scenes before the national team takes the pitch.

 The Cayman Islands is just one out of six CFU member associations not participating in the event. The other nations are The Bahamas, Bonaire, Montserrat, The Turks and Caicos Islands and St. Lucia.

The Cayman Islands last played in the Caribbean Cup in 2010. Their best finish in a Caribbean Cup was 4th in 1995. 

Jamaica are the defending champions. 

SOURCE: http://www.loopcayman.com/content/no-caribbean-cup-cayman