Wed | Oct 15, 2025

RJRGLEANER, McKay Security confident ahead of Challenge Cup final

Published:Wednesday | October 15, 2025 | 12:08 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
Members of the RJRGLEANER team celebrate winning the KSAFA Business House Division One football title with their fans at Ashenheim Stadium, Jamaica College, on October 4.
Members of the RJRGLEANER team celebrate winning the KSAFA Business House Division One football title with their fans at Ashenheim Stadium, Jamaica College, on October 4.

COACHES AURANE Phoenix and Fabian Swaby are both high in confidence ahead of this evening’s Kingston and St Andrew Football Association Business House Challenge Cup final for the Raymond Quallo Memorial Trophy, starting at 7 p.m. at Constant Spring.

McKay Security’s Phoenix is banking on a regular-season 3-0 defeat of Swaby’s RJRGLEANER as a psychological advantage over the media men in blue.

“RJRGleaner are in this final on a bye, as division one champions, having beaten National Housing Trust (NHT) 2-0. They didn’t play to get here. We are also champions, knockout champions, who played to get here, beating the division two league champions, ScotiaBank, to earn our place.

“We also beat RJRGLEANER 3-0 in the regular season, unbeaten until losing our semi-final match to NHT in the 93rd minute. We had the best defensive record in the league, conceding eight goals from 17 matches,” Phoenix pointed out.

RJR had won the opening match of the semi-final doubleheader, beating Wisynco 2-1. RJR went on to win the division one league final, beating NHT 2-0.

However, Swaby said their rivals’ 3-0 league victory will count for nothing in this evening’s final.

“Losing to McKay Security in the regular season will not matter at all. When they played us, they did not outplay us. They simply capitalised on their chances. If we had done so, it would have been a different result.

“We have tweaked and changed the formation. It will be a different scoreline this time around.

“Their defensive record means throughout the season, they were doing something good but fell short where it mattered most, the semis,” Swaby pointed out, suggesting that McKay Security might have choked on the big day.

McKay Security’s chief executive officer, Jason McKay, scoffed at Swaby’s assertions.

“Tonight will prove that McKay Security is the best team in the Business House League. My only disappointment is that we are not playing NHT, who had beaten us in the league semis,” said McKay.

Meanwhile, Phoenix noted that McKay Security would be the sharper team, having beaten ScotiaBank while RJRGleaner were still celebrating their division-one title.

“We played ScotiaBank, division two champions, winning 1-0 in time added, the last kick of the game, a penalty scored by Shemari Dyer. We actually got a penalty earlier, five minutes into the second half, but missed that one,” said the McKay Security coach.

Phoenix pointed to McKay Security’s regular-season mauling of NHT, 5-0, as a sign of what could happen to RJRGLEANER should his team be on song in front of goal.

“The reality is we have to score goals, which win matches. We only need to finish our chances to ensure victory,” he added, pointing out that McKay Security are out to settle a score after losing last year’s Challenge Cup final to NHT on penalties after a 2-2 stalemate in regular and extra time.