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Belmopan Bandits FSC

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Belmopan Bandits FSC
Full nameBelmopan Bandits Football Sporting Club
Nickname(s)The Bandits
Los Banditos
Founded1986; 38 years ago (1986)
GroundIsidoro Beaton Stadium, Belmopan
Capacity2,500
OwnerJohn Saldivar[1]
ManagerDale Pelayo Sr.
LeaguePremier League of Belize
2022–238th
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/banditssports

Belmopan Bandits FSC is a professional football club from Belmopan, Belize, currently competing in the Premier League of Belize. With nine championships, the club is the most successful in Belizean football since the creation of the Premier League of Belize in 2012.[2][3]

History

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The club was founded in 1986 as the Builders Hardware Bandits.[4] After a period of inactivity, it returned in 2011 and quickly re-established itself as one of the country's top clubs. By 2017, Belmopan Bandits had won seven of the last eleven titles in Belize's top division, including the Premier League of Belize and its predecessor leagues.[5] The club qualified for the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League but was ultimately replaced by Costa Rica's C.S. Herediano after the surface of the FFB Stadium was deemed unplayable.[6] If they would have appeared in the tournament, the club would have been the first from Belize to participate in the competition since 2008–09.[7] By winning the 2014–15 championship, the club won the title for the fourth time in six seasons and its third championship in a row.[8] By 2016, the club was recognized by Amandala as having a stable ownership and financial security without scandals or controversies, and a number of members of the Belize national team in the squad.[9]

In July 2017, Belmopan Bandits won the Quadrangular Football Tournament held in San Pedro Town, beating the top teams from Ambergris Caye.[10] Later that summer the club made its CONCACAF debut in the 2017 CONCACAF League, the inaugural edition of the tournament. Honduran international and 2010 FIFA World Cup participant Georgie Welcome led the team's offense. They were eliminated by C.D. Walter Ferretti of Nicaragua in the Round of 16 with an aggregate score of 1–5. The team qualified for the competition again in 2018.[11] In their second attempt, the club was eliminated in the Round of 16 again, losing a well-played series against F.C. Motagua 0–3 on aggregate. By qualifying for the 2019 CONCACAF League, Belmopan Bandits became the first-ever club to qualify for the competition three consecutive seasons.[12]

In October 2021, Belmopan Bandits issued a statement that it would not participate in the 2021–22 FFB Top League which was organized by the Football Federation of Belize to replace the PLB season cancelled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The club stated that their protest was because Clifford King, the person club management viewed as the legitimately elected President of the FFB, was not recognized by the federation. The matter was taken up by with the Supreme Court of Belize.[13]

In February 2023, it was announced that the club had entered a sponsorship agreement with Internacional Futbol Club of Mexico which would increase Belmopan's technical and financial resources. As part of the deal, Belmopan Bandits rebranded as Bandits-Internacional FC. While the original club would maintain ownership, Internacional FC would take over all operations and offer opportunities for Belizean players to sign in Mexico. The club played its first match under its new name against Altitude FC on 11 February 2023.[14] Before the end of the 2022–23 season, the club returned to wearing its original Bandits uniforms. In May 2023, it was announced that the club had ended its sponsorship agreement with Internacional FC and would return as the Belmopan Bandits for the 2023–24 season. The half season as played under the Bandits-Internacional FC moniker saw the club earn its worst-ever Closing Championship performance.[15]


Record

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Year-by-year

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Key

  Champion   Runners-up   Third place

Season League Notes
Div. Round Pos. Pl. W D L Pts. Play-Offs Round Pos. Pl. W D L Pts. Play-Offs
2012[16] 1st Opening 5th, Southern Zone 10 1 4 5 7 DNQ Closing
1st, Zone A
 14 9 4 1 31
1st
2012/13[17] Opening
1st, Zone A
 14 9 4 1 31
1st
 Closing
1st
 14 10 2 2 32 Semis
2013/14[18] Opening
3rd
 12 4 5 3 17
1st
 Closing
2nd
 12 4 6 2 18
1st
2014/15[19] Opening
3rd
 8 5 1 2 16
1st
 Closing
3rd
 8 4 3 1 15
2nd
2015/16[20] Opening
1st
 10 6 3 1 21 Semis Closing
3rd
 10 5 3 2 18
1st
2016/17[21] Opening
1st
 16 12 4 0 40
1st
 Closing
1st
 14 11 3 0 36
1st
2017/18[22] Opening
1st
 14 11 2 1 35
2nd
 Closing
1st
 14 9 4 1 31
1st
2018/19[23] Opening
1st
 14 10 3 1 33
1st
 Closing
2nd
 14 7 4 3 25
2nd
2019/20[24] Opening
2nd
 14 8 4 2 28
2nd
 Closing
2nd
 7 4 1 2 13 N/A Closing Round abandoned because of COVID-19 pandemic
2021/22[25] Did not enter
2022/23[25] Opening
8th
 14 2 2 10 8 DNQ Closing
8th
 14 0 2 12 2 DNQ
2023/24[26] Opening
7th
 14 2 2 10 8 DNQ Closing
TBD

International competitions

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Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
2014–15[6] CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage withdrawn, replaced by Costa Rica Herediano
2017[27] CONCACAF League Round of 16 Nicaragua Walter Ferretti 1–4 0–3 1–5
2018[28] CONCACAF League Round of 16 Honduras Motagua 0–1 0–2 0–3
2019[29] CONCACAF League Preliminary round Costa Rica Saprissa 1–3 1–3 2–6

Honours

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Basketball

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Belmopan Bandits is an multi-sports club that also operates a basketball team in the Belize Elite Basketball League (BEBL). The team won its first league championship in 2017.[30]

References

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  1. ^ "The Bandits' nightmare". Amandala.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b Schöggl, Hans. "Belize - List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  3. ^ "About Us". Belmopan Bandits FSC. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  4. ^ Schöggl, Hans. "Belize - List of Foundation Dates". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ Cuthkelvin, Delroy. "Belmopan bandits sports success story". Breaking Belize News. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "CONCACAF Champions League: Costa Rica's Herediano to replace Belize's Belmopan Bandits". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  7. ^ Hernandez, Cesar. "Mexican sides primed for CCL success". ESPN. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. ^ "FIFA President congratulates Belmopan Bandits". amandala.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  9. ^ "The Bandits are coming to town; old Belize City vs new capital". Amandala.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Belmopan Bandits win Quadrangular Football Tournament". San Pedro Sun. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Stability has Belmopan Bandits poised for SCL run". Concacaf. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Belmopan Bandits will feature in the SCL for the third time". Concacaf. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Belmopan Bandits issues press release". Amandala.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  14. ^ Iglesias, Rubén Morales. "Bandits strike sponsorship deal with Mexican football club, change name to Internacional Fútbol Club". Breaking Belize News. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  15. ^ Iglesias, Rubén Morales. "Bandits drop name Internacional, return for next Premier League of Belize season". Breaking Belize News. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  16. ^ King, Ian; Schöggl, Hans. "Belize 2012". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. ^ King, Ian. "Belize 2013". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. ^ King, Ian. "Belize 2013/14". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  19. ^ King, Ian. "Belize 2014/15". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  20. ^ King, Ian. "Belize 2015/16". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  21. ^ Schöggl, Hans; Stokkermans, Karel. "Belize 2016/17". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  22. ^ Schöggl, Hans; Stokkermans, Karel. "Belize 2017/18". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  23. ^ Stokkermans, Karel. "Belize 2018/19". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  24. ^ Stokkermans, Karel. "Belize 2019/20". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  25. ^ a b King, Ian; Stokkermans, Karel. "Belize 2022/23". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  26. ^ Stokkermans, Karel. "Belize 2023/24". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  27. ^ Lugo, Erik Francisco. "Central American Club Competitions 2017/18". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  28. ^ Lugo, Erik Francisco. "Central American Club Competitions 2018/19". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  29. ^ Lugo, Erik Francisco. "Central American Club Competitions 2019/20". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  30. ^ Gladden, Charleston. "Belmopan Bandits captured their first NEBL Championship defeating San Pedro Tiger Sharks". Belize Elite Basketball League. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
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