Strengthened Alpha faces Tempete in return fixture today

Thompson to step up as coach after a no show from Mervyn Wilson

Guyana’s Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United will face Haiti’s Tempete Football Club in the return fixture of this year’s Caribbean Football Union (CFU) club championship today in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The local side will be entering  the contest with a goal down (2-1) based on the aggregate goal system, after a one all draw when the two sides met at the GCC ground, Bourda, last month.

But according to information reaching Stabroek Sports, the team will now be coached by Pele’s Coach Denzil “Hunky Brains” Thompson whom they have contracted for the Haiti game, after their coach Mervyn “Pug” Wilson was a no show.

The team’s manager Steve Ninvalle said that when the team left Guyana on Thursday evening, Wilson could not have been found and he said that his reason for omitting himself is a mystery. Efforts to contact the club’s President Odinga Lumumba for a comment turned up empty handed.

Kittson Bain

However, in order to enhance their chances of going through to the next round, the club has strengthened itself with the services of Grenadian national striker Kithson Bain and Jamaica’s national mid-fielder Anthony Bennett.

Bain is no stranger to the Alpha squad, since he was a part of their team for the 2008/09 Kashif and Shanghai tournament, where he displayed his capabilities with the ball, finding the back of the net in all of Alpha’s games in the competition.

But whilst Bain would be no stranger to the team, Bennett who is known for his exploits in the midfield position in Jamaica, will be playing with Guyana’s top club for the first time.

Speaking prior to his team’s departure last week, Lumumba said the two new players were necessary since he feels they can bring to the team what it is seriously lacking.

“I think the two players can put us in a winning position. One is a striker and the other is excellent in the midfield and those were the areas in which we were lacking seriously,” said Lumumba.

He also stated that the two players would remain with the club until the end of the season since they are both contracted from their respective clubs.
In the first game, the Haitians were able to salvage a draw following an own goal by Kelvin McKenzie in the 71st minute. This was after Dwight Peters had given Alpha the lead in the 35th minute.

The Alpha united team reads:

Charles Pollard (captain), Ronson Williams, Shawn Johnson,  Howard Lowe, Kelvin McKenzie, Leon Grumble, Dwight Peters, Elton Browne, Quincy Madramootoo, Kithson Bain, Abassi McPherson, Dwaine Jacobs, Philbert Moffat, Romel Gomes, Emerick Williams, Winston St. Hill, Gordon hennery  and Anthony Bennett.
Coaches: Denzil Thompson (Head Coach) and Gavin Brown (assistant coaches). The manager is Steve Ninvalle.