Walker Cup

Between the 1980s and 1990s, Zaidie, a midfielder, was a staple in local football in Jamaica.

As a member of the St. George’s College Manning Cup team between 1980 and 1984, Zaidie was teammates with the likes of Ziggy Marley, Andrew Price, Christopher Morgan, Michael Forbes, Nicholas Zaidie, Brian Hamilton and Garfield Pearcy. Under the guidance of the late coach Dennis Zaidie, he won the coveted triple twice – Manning Cup, Nutrament Shield, and Olivier Shield in 1983 and the Manning Cup, Walker Cup and Olivier Shield in 1984.

Dennis Zaidie and Jackie Bell, who coached Premier League club Santos, would perish in a motor vehicle accident in Mexico in 1986 having gone there to watch a match in the FIFA World Cup.

Chris would go on to represent Jamaica during the 1994 World Cup campaign, playing six matches between 1992 and 1993.

Price, who is now the head coach at Jamaica Premier League club Humble Lion and three-time Manning Cup champions Calabar High School, has been close friends with Zaidie since they played against each other in Alberga Cup football in the late 1970s– Zaidie for St Peter and Paul, Price for Alpha.

“Chris was more than a teammate, he was a friend and a brother and somebody who I could depend on and he could on me,” Price recalled of Zaidie, who at the time of his death worked as a teacher in Miramar, Florida.

“We were close from we were kids and played Alberga Cup football. We ended up at George’s and as schoolboys played for Kingston Lions in the now defunct Caribbean semi-professional league and Boys Town FC.”

Zaidie is survived by his wife Debbie and two children.

Mona High secured a comfortable 5-0 win over Kingston Technical to advance to the final.

Two long range strikes from Romario Thomas in the 27^th and 44^th minutes allowed Mona to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

In the second half, goals from Robinho Gordon in the 49^th, Kenaldo Brown in the 54^th, and Damoy Whitfield in the 73^rd propelled the St. Andrew-based school to the final.

St. Catherine High beat Excelsior High 2-1 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw to progress to the final.

Javauney Simms gave Excelsior the lead in the 36^th minute but St. Catherine equalized in the 46^th minute through a brilliant strike from Nickyle Ellis.

The two teams then endured a ridiculous penalty shootout, which saw them miss their first six combined penalties before St. Catherine held their nerve and scored their last two to advance.

Mona will be looking for their first Walker Cup title, while St. Catherine will be looking to become back-to-back winners of the knockout competition.