Portmore in limbo over Caribbean Cup semi

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (CMC):

Concacaf has announced the postponement of the 2026 Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final second-leg match between Haiti’s Violette AC and Jamaica’s Portmore United, which had been scheduled for today.

The match is now expected to be played during the week of October 26, with the new date, kick-off time and venue yet to be confirmed. Concacaf said further details would be provided in due course.

The return leg had been scheduled for the Cibao FC Stadium in Santiago, Dominican Republic, as part of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup semi-finals.

The postponement stems from a Dominican Republic government policy barring Haiti’s national football team and other Haitian teams from playing in stadiums across the country.

Dominican Minister of Sports and Recreation Kelvin Cruz reiterated on Sunday a position he first outlined on October 1, following incidents at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium during a match involving the two countries’ national teams.

Cruz’s stance was later endorsed by Dominican President Luis Abinader, making it official government policy.

José Francisco Deschamps, president of the Dominican Football Federation (Fedofútbol), said the federation was complying with the government’s decision to prohibit Haitian national and club teams from using the country’s sporting facilities.

Deschamps said Fedofútbol respects the Ministry of Sports’ position and that it is for government authorities to determine whatever measures they deem necessary.

With the second leg no longer set for its original date, the semi-final remains on hold pending confirmation of a venue, kick-off time and revised match date.