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Missed chances cost Mt Pleasant
August 19, 2026
A wasteful first-half performance proved costly for Mount Pleasant Football Academy, who fell 2-1 to Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic in their opening Group B match of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup yesterday at the National Stadium.
Cibao struck first through Diego Ledesma in the 43rd minute, but Mount Pleasant pulled level in the 69th when Nickalia Fuller found the net. Mariano Nichele then secured all three points for Cibao with an 81st-minute finish.
Head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore said his team deserved a positive result based on the number of chances created, but admitted that missed opportunities ultimately told the story.
“Disappointed with the result but I think with the performance of the players tonight, we deserved something out of the game,” Whitmore said in his post-match interview.
“I think we dominated possession but in the final third we came up short this afternoon. We created numerous goalscoring opportunities to get something out of the game but such is the nature of the game,” he added.
Mount Pleasant started brightly and created the better chances in the first half. Nicholas Nelson squandered a brilliant opportunity in the 21st minute when he broke free on a counterattack but fired wide of the top right corner with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Nelson continued to threaten and tested the goalkeeper again seven minutes later from a tighter angle, but his dragged effort drifted wide of the far post. Trayvone Reid also went close, aiming for the near post, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide.
The missed chances proved costly as Cibao took the lead against the run of play when a scramble in the box allowed Ledesma to score. Jahshaun Anglin came inches from equalising in first-half stoppage time, but his effort spun just wide.
The second half was more subdued, with both teams locked in a midfield battle. Fuller, however, made an immediate impact six minutes after coming on, dancing past three defenders before firing a low, driven shot into the net.
Cibao responded and eventually found the winner when Nichele pounced on a loose ball after an initial save from Shaquan Davis.
The victory moved Cibao to the top of the group on four points, ahead of Salcedo on three.
Cibao’s head coach Scheldeur Sainvilus said the win was crucial given the short format of the competition.
“We are so happy today. We won a game that was a final for us. In the Caribbean Cup, you only play four matches so we had to win this game,” he said.
