The opening day of the 2026 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield delivered a dramatic opening result, as two-time Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League champions La Clery kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Anguilla’s top side Roaring Lions at Couva, Trinidad & Tobago’s Ato Boldon Stadium. The win sealed their progression from the Round of 32, keeping their dream of a historic Concacaf Champions Cup berth alive.
From the first whistle, La Clery asserted their control over the match, carving out multiple promising scoring opportunities in the opening quarter-hour. Their early pressure paid off in the 16th minute, when a foul on Dante Fitz inside the 18-yard box handed them a penalty. Shaquille Degazon stepped up to convert the spot kick, opening his tournament tally and giving his side the early lead.
Just nine minutes later, Degazon doubled both his personal tally and La Clery’s advantage. Baggio Edward delivered a low, short cross into the congested six-yard box, and Degazon was first to react, slotting home a close-range finish to put his side 2-0 up ahead of halftime.
For the remainder of the match, La Clery maintained majority possession and continued to create chances to extend their lead, but poor finishing and solid defensive work from Roaring Lions kept the scoreline unchanged. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Roaring Lions grabbed a late consolation goal to cut the deficit to one, but it was not enough to overturn the result, with La Clery holding on to claim the full three points and a spot in the next round.
Up next for La Clery is a blockbuster Round of 16 clash against Suriname’s powerhouse side SV Robinhood, scheduled for 6 p.m. local time Saturday at Port of Spain’s Hasely Crawford Stadium. SV Robinhood received a direct bye to the Round of 16 and has a proven history against Saint Lucian opposition, having thrashed B1 FC 5-0 in the 2023 group stage on their way to lifting the CFU Club Shield title that year.
As a reminder, the CFU Club Shield serves as the official qualification pathway for the annual Concacaf Caribbean Cup. The tournament’s winner and runner-up earn a spot in the 10-team regional Concacaf Caribbean Cup, which in turn offers teams a path to qualify for the prestigious Concacaf Champions Cup, the confederation’s top club competition. To date, no club from Saint Lucia has ever advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup stage, leaving La Clery with a chance to make history for the island nation if they can continue their run.