In the opening match from 18:00 hrs, Rupununi make their third appearance in the championship, bursting with confidence of bettering their previous performances as they take on the Berbice combined team, Cougars All Stars.

Then from 20:00 hrs, the first team outside of Linden to participate in the tournament, Santos, meet four-time champion, Topp XX, setting the stage for another explosive night of football.

Already, last year’s champions Conquerors were needled by Netrockers, with a Matthew Pollard goal in the second half in the opening double-header at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, Linden, on Sunday and two-time champions Milerock began setting claim for a possible third title also, needling 2001 champions Victoria Kings with another second half goal off the boot of Trevor Tudor.

Rupununi will field several past junior National players, including Olympians Emerick Williams and Daxton Park who both wore the country’s colours in the recent qualifiers for the Athens Games.

Former junior Nationals Johnny Farias and Daxton’s brother will also be in the line-up, along with several players who have experienced playing against teams from Brazil.

The Region Nine boys should go into the game as the favourites, having put up good performances during the recent Amerindian Heritage month invitational games against top city teams.

Berbice had to come as a combined team to be more competitive in the championship, and with players coming from the fast-running Paradise team and those from New Amsterdam it would make them a force to be reckoned with.

Santos have been reorganizing. At one time they held the record of being the only club to win the National knockout championship, back to back. They, along with Camptown, have been in the championship since the early stages, back in the 1992.

Again several former senior and junior Nationals will be in the line-up, including Seon McKenzie and Jermaine Alleyne. Add power striker Chris Duggan and Santos will produce a strong challenge.

Topp XX go into the tournament with the best credentials in its history, having already won the championship back to back. The first time was when they hit the National spotlight with the NBIC championships, following up with the Kashif & Shanghai title in 1994 and again in 1996. They were back in winners’ row in 1999 and 2000.

The most-titled ‘Most Valuable Player’, Collie Hercules, will be at the helm, coaching and playing. He will be backed with the usual young input Adrian Reid, along with experience in Carey Harris, Troy Richards and Sheldon Noel.

But Camptown ground was witness to the biggest upset last year when Stewartville knocked out the star-studded Topp XX.