Don Bosco (pictured) earned a berth in the 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League thanks to a third-place finish in the 2016 CFU Club Championship. (Photo courtesy of Don Bosco FC)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Unlike a year ago, a semifinal stumble to Trinidad & Tobago’s Central FC wasn’t going to derail Don Bosco FC’s quest to become just the third-ever Haitian team to qualify for the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

In the 2015 Caribbean Football Union Club Championship, Don Bosco fell to the Sharks on penalty kicks in a final-four encounter, before losing to Jamaica’s Montego Bay United in the third place game and missing out on a SCCL berth.

On Sunday, in the 2016 edition, it applied the lessons acquired from a second straight semifinal setback to Central – once again on penalty kicks. This time, however, Don Bosco rallied to beat another Jamaican side, Arnett Gardens, 2-0, in the match for third place.

“We learned some new things in that game in the semis,” Don Bosco head coach Junior Natoux told CONCACAF.com. “We didn’t take the good chances when they presented themselves. I think that cost us the game.”

Venel Saint-Fort (27’) and Folson Philemond (53’) scored the goals that propelled the host into the SCCL, while goalkeeper Ronald Elusma recorded the shutout.

Now the biggest teams in the region await and the Don Bosco fans will get to see some big name players take on their hometown team.

“There are some well known players and coaches and Don Bosco will now get some recognition in world football,” said Natoux. “People will speak well of Haiti and the kind of football we play here. There will be more pride here.”

A young team, Don Bosco will rely on a collective performance instead of having star power shouldering the load. Any success the team earns in the SCCL will be derived from sticking to the game plan.

“We have good players,” Natoux. “It’s about the team. There are plenty of good players at Don Bosco, but it’s about the team first. We’ve made some great strides and we have to continue with that. We can’t panic and we have to concentrate on our plans and see if we can win against these teams.”

The SCCL draw takes place on May 30 in Miami.