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And while Sports Minister Herman Longsworth is putting the blame on the FFB - President Ruperto Vicente is not having it.

We put this question directly to him today, but he deflected, saying that it's his efforts, which have brought Belize closer to the Champions League than ever before:

Ruperto Vicente

"I've never shied away from responsibility, I take responsibility in this case is to ensure that we have a facility that is adequate enough and ready for our teams to participate in Champion's League. I have done my best. I have taken the monies that FIFA give to Belize, and I have said to FIFA we need a good stadium, we need good lighting, we have lights right now. We need good locker rooms, we have air conditioned locker rooms, we have twelve showers, five bathrooms. We need good bleachers, well numbered, properly numbered, we have that. We need a good pitch and we presented all of that to FIFA. I have done my part, I have done what I believe would have gotten us into Champion's League and I've fought with CONCACAF. When CONCACAF said in May Belize would not participate, I stood up and I said to CONCACAF, if you don't give us the opportunity, I will not participate in any other tournaments this year. And that is how Bandits were given the opportunity and invited to the draw in Miami. I have done my part. The field, if I was an expert in grass, i'd done it myself, but I am not an expect in that field. And so we contracted a person that have the ability to do the job, was given the contract and the contractor did not come through for us. It is not my fault, I have done my part and I believed I have done it well."

Today, we tried to contact Minister John Saldivar, the owner of the Belmopan Bandits Football Club for comment, but he didn't respond.

Via Facebook he posted comment saying, quote,

"It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness as the owner of the Belmopan Bandits FC that I must accept the decision of CONCACAF to remove my Club from the Champions League Tournament due to an inadequate FFB Stadium. I believe that my Club, its players, and I would be justified in our indignation towards the FFB and its officials who are responsible for this sad state of affairs. However, the blame game will only cause more disappointments as we prepare to defend our national pride in the Nations' Cup in three weeks. I will therefore hold my fury and instead offer to assist in whatever way I can in our preparations for the Nations' Cup." End Quote.

As we've told you, this will make it the second time that the Bandits have qualified for the Champions League and then been prevented from participating.

Today, FFB President Vicente suggested that his administration will try to get the Bandits into the tournament next year, but owners of other semi-pro challenged that pronouncement, because the statutes require that the winner of the Premier League in any given year is the team that gets to represent the country in the tournament.