The Caribbean Cup 2016 kicked off this week with a "new format and a new title sponsor" in the form of Scotiabank, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Cuba, Grenada and Guyana all won their opening games as seven groups begin play to qualify 15 teams for the next round. The Caribbean Football Union has "changed the structure of the competition with this edition." The first round will see seven groups of three qualify 15 teams to a further five groups of three, with the introduction of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at this stage. This second round will qualify five teams for a third round of eight with the introduction of Jamaica (current champions), Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago. Rounds 2 and 3 will begin in June and October, respectively, of this year. The final round is scheduled to be played in May '17. The finals host "is still to be named." The top four teams qualify for the 2017 Gold Cup. No figure has been released for the Scotiabank sponsorship, "which arrives in the Caribbean via the major partnership the bank has with regional governing body CONCACAF" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 3/24).
