The stage is set for an electrifying 2025 President’s Cup showdown as MFCR Old Road United Jets prepare to take on SL Horsford St. Paul’s United on Sunday at 6:30 PM at Warner Park. Fresh off an exceptional 2024 season, Old Road is brimming with confidence as they look to start the new campaign on a high note.
Old Road made history last year by winning the FA Cup for the first time, adding another feather to their cap by claiming the inaugural Live Yuh Life Council Cup in December. Since then, the team has been fully immersed in pre-season preparations, sharpening their skills and building momentum ahead of Sunday’s clash.
With the highly anticipated match against St. Paul’s fast approaching, Old Road captain Nequan Browne believes his team is ready for the challenge. Speaking during a recent training session in Verchilds, he emphasized the significance of this season opener.
“Well, we know it's going to be a good game, a rough game. I mean, a good test for the first game of the season. So whatever happens on Sunday will just propel us to the rest of the season and we’ll see how it goes,” Browne said.
Head coach Alexis Morris echoed similar sentiments, revealing that this game has been on his mind since last season’s final four.
“It’s been playing out in my mind since the final four, since last season…. Even the times when we thought that we should have gotten over the hump on many occasions, we did not. And so that game for me has been played in the mind… we are now putting all of that into practice and hopefully it will pay off,” he explained.
Sunday’s match will mark the beginning of a new chapter for Old Road, as they will be without their star player Tiquanny Williams, who recently signed a professional contract with a club in Kosovo. His departure leaves a significant void, but both Browne and Morris remain positive about the team’s ability to adapt and grow in his absence.
“The players, everybody around, the whole community, we're elated,” Browne said of Williams’ move. “We're happy to see that one of our own has gone to do big things, to make a career for himself, to support his own family... It’s a good step. I'm happy for him. It’s a good thing to see somebody go up and make it out there because that’s the plan. That’s the plan for all of us—to get out there and become professional footballers.”
While acknowledging that Williams’ impact on the field is irreplaceable, Browne also sees his departure as an opportunity for other players to rise to the occasion and make their mark this season.
For Coach Morris, Williams’ journey is a testament to dedication and hard work.
“He often comes out on the pitch day in, day out, by himself working on his craft. Sometimes he would call me to help him as well… I thought it was timely; we just asked him to keep his head on and be strong,” Morris said.
The 2025 President’s Cup will pit FA Cup champions Old Road against National Bank Group of Companies Premier League winners St. Paul’s United in what promises to be an intense battle between two of the strongest teams in St. Kitts and Nevis.
With Old Road eager to prove they can compete at the highest level despite Williams' absence, and St. Paul’s looking to cement their status as the dominant force in local football, fans can expect an explosive start to the new season.
The countdown is on, and Old Road is ready for war.