As Caribbean soccer clubs improve, Haitian teams must adapt to regain regional dominance

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Haitian soccer clubs have commanded respect at regional tournaments in recent years, rising from securing third and fourth-place finishes in 2018 to clinching Caribbean Club Championship titles in 2021 and 2022. However, this year’s performances reveal that other Caribbean clubs have significantly upgraded while Haitian teams have remained largely stagnant. This shift has left Haitian clubs struggling to keep pace in the increasingly competitive Caribbean Cup.

Real Hope Football Academy’s recent 4-2 aggregate loss to the Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC in the Caribbean Cup semifinals underscored the widening performance gap. 

Meanwhile, Ouanaminthe Football Club 2011 finished last in its group and was the second-worst team in this year’s competition, conceding 10 goals over four games without a single win. For a country that recently dominated the Caribbean scene, this decline signals a need for Haitian clubs to rethink their strategies.

Haitian teams showed promising potential by winning the Caribbean Club Championship in both 2021 and 2022. However, the country’s league faced a pause in 2023 due to national instability and security concerns, preventing clubs from competing. When the league resumed in 2024, Real Hope and Ouanaminthe entered the Caribbean Cup. Still, they struggled against opponents who had invested in building up their lineups and tactics.

Many fans initially attributed Haitian clubs’ poor showings to a lack of competitive play. But, in 2022, when Violette Athletic Club won the competition, the Haitian league was inactive. This year’s disappointing results suggest that lack of improvement, rather than lack of playing time, is the primary challenge, especially as other Caribbean teams strengthen their squads and infrastructure.

Upgrades among Caribbean rivals  

While Haitian clubs have largely relied on local talent, other Caribbean teams, particularly in the Dominican Republic, have been making significant upgrades. 

A club like Cibao FC, for example, has bolstered its lineup by signing players developed in top European academies. In 2023, they signed Jairo Bueno, a center-back trained at Spain’s Villarreal academy. In 2024, they signed left winger Luismi Quezada, also developed by one of Spain’s giant clubs, Real Madrid. 

Additionally, Cibao signed talented 25-year-old Colombian striker Rivaldo Correa. He has netted 21 goals in 33 games this season, including one against Real Hope in the semifinals.

The financial commitment of teams like Cibao further highlights the disparity. For the past and current seasons, Cibao spent approximately US$1 million on players, while Real Hope invested just about US$136,000, according to Transfer Markt.

Real Hope’s top signings—local players, striker Angelo Exilus, center-back Peterson Pierre-Louis and left-back Michel Huguens, who played in Trinidad and Tobago last season for Cunupia FC—did well in Haiti’s league but found themselves outmatched in the Caribbean Cup playoffs.

All three players made the Concacaf Best XI in the group stage but were overpowered in the playoffs. Real Hope also signed Colombian center forward Edgar Castellanos this season, but he was released following his poor performances in the Caribbean Cup last month.

Limits to Haitian clubs’ growth

Haitian clubs face unique challenges that hinder competitiveness. The Haitian League struggles to attract high-caliber foreign players due to safety concerns and financial constraints. As a result, local players who perform well in the domestic league often struggle in the more competitive regional tournaments. 

For instance, Real Hope’s star winger, Rapha Intervil, who dazzled in the Haitian League, failed to make an impact in the Caribbean tournament. Some players, like midfielders Johnson Jeudi and Steve Mondestin, adapted to the higher level of competition, but their efforts alone were not enough. 

Star center-back Colo Myson, also struggled in the Caribbean Cup as he often mistimed his tackles and placements.  

In the end, Gooly Elien showed his qualities as a goalkeeper for Real Hope, but again, his contributions were not enough to help the team pass more robust opponents. 

In comparison, other clubs in the Caribbean Cup, such as Jamaica’s Cavalier FC and Trinidad’s Port of Spain, featured strong teams with improved fitness and tactical discipline—qualities that remain weaknesses for Haitian clubs.

The path forward for Haitian clubs

The Caribbean Cup itself has evolved, drawing stronger teams and raising the level of competition. When Haiti’s Cavaly AS won the competition in 2021, they faced relatively weaker teams, including clubs from Suriname, Sint Maarten and Guadeloupe.  Cavaly AS easily defeated Surinamese club Inter Moengotapoe 3-0 in the final.

This season, the Caribbean Cup mainly featured some of the best teams in the region, such as Jamaican champions Cavalier FC, Trinidadian champions Port of Spain and more. These top contenders from across the Caribbean exposed Haitian clubs’ vulnerabilities.

Haitian teams’ traditional issues—reckless play and inconsistent fitness levels—are no longer viable in a more challenging field, with clubs in the Caribbean becoming stronger technically and organizationally.

In 2022, Violette AC won the final against Cibao despite a red card in the first 15 minutes, but Real Hope struggled to overcome a similar setback this year. The Cap-Haïtien club, now eliminated from the Caribbean Cup final, will face Moca FC in a round-robin third-place playoff set for late November and the beginning of December. These two matches could provide a learning opportunity for Haitian clubs to reassess their approach.

Many observers believe to remain competitive in a dynamic regional landscape, Haitian clubs need to adjust to rising standards and make necessary improvements, from player recruitment to strategic planning.

For clubs in Haiti to reclaim their dominance, investments in coaching, scouting, and player development are crucial.

Staying on the same level as in 2021 or 2022 won’t yield the same results in 2024. Soccer is an evolving sport, and to keep up, clubs must grow.

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As Caribbean soccer clubs improve, Haitian teams must adapt to regain regional dominance was first posted on November 7, 2024 at 9:57 am.