Haitian soccer stars say overseas experience earned them Caribbean Cup Best XI honors

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Fresh off their stellar performances in the Caribbean Cup, Real Hope Football Academy players Angelo Exilus and Huguens Michel revealed that one of the main reasons they played well enough to earn spots on the Concacaf Caribbean Cup Best XI is due to the experience they gained from playing overseas. Their accolades are a testament to how crucial it is for the development of Haitian players to play outside of Haiti. 

“Experience counts for a lot,” Exilus said. “It gives you extra confidence to move forward. When you’re playing in the Caribbean Cup, you don’t feel a lot of pressure, unlike the other youngsters.”

Exilus, a 25-year-old forward from Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, considers his spot on the Caribbean Cup Best XI “one of the greatest accomplishments of his career.”

Real Hope won the 2024 Haitian League with a dynamic and talented roster. However, that talent did not prove sufficient to compete effectively in the Caribbean Cup. The Cap-Haïtien club needed to bring in players with overseas experience, as these players ended up being the most valuable components of the team’s third-place finish in the Caribbean Cup. 

Tactically and physically, the Haitian League is weaker than most leagues from other countries in CONCACAF. Due to this, when Haitian league players compete in regional competitions, they often fail to showcase their full potential. They usually need more tactical awareness, discipline, and stamina to compete at their best internationally. 

 “It’s hard to adapt to international tournaments. But this wasn’t my first time. Day by day, you get more experience. I’m pleased to be in the Caribbean Cup Best XI, and this shows that I have progressed.”

Huguens Michel, Real Hope Academy left-back

Two aspects that considerably slow Haitian players’ development are field quality and coaching. Most soccer fields in Haiti are not FIFA-regulated and are smaller than those in other countries. Additionally, most coaches are not professionally trained. Players lack game time in a professional setting and high-quality coaching.

Local league players often struggle in regional competitions

Even one of the Haitian League’s top players, Real Hope’s winger Rapha Intervil, did not find his rhythm until the playoffs. Intervil had limited experience playing in the Dominican Republic. 

Additionally, the club’s star defender, Colo Myson, was left on the bench after a poor performance. The men who ran the show the entire Caribbean Cup season for Real Hope were mainly those who had experience playing overseas, notably Exilus and Michel. 

Exilus was the second top scorer with six goals in the competition, and Michel, a 30-year-old left back, racked nine steals and delivered 87 percent of his passes from 239 attempts. 

Exilus played for Brazilian side Pérolas Negras in the fourth division in 2018, then for second-division club Goiás Esporte Clube’s under-20 team. The 25-year-old later played in Trinidad for Cunupia FC in 2024. 

As for Huguens, he also played for Cunupia in 2024 but gained most of his international experience with Haitian clubs Association Sportive Capoise and Violette Athletic Club in previous Caribbean Club editions. The 30-year-old won the Caribbean Club Championship with Violette in 2022.

“It’s hard to adapt to international tournaments,” Michel said. 

“But this wasn’t my first time. Day by day, you get more experience. I’m pleased to be in the Caribbean Cup Best XI, and this shows that I have progressed.”

Real Hope’s Number 10, Johnson Jeudy, did not make the Best XI but was a fan favorite during the Caribbean Cup and arguably the player who stood out the most. Jeudy also played for Cunupia in 2024. Peterson Pierre-Louis, another player who played for Cunupia, made the Best XI of the group stage of the Caribbean Cup.

Playing in Haiti isn’t an option anymore

Exilus hopes that his performance in the Caribbean Cup will earn him a contract overseas. He views playing in the Haitian League again, after plying his trade on foreign soil, as a setback in his career. 

“I don’t mean to belittle the National Championship, but I don’t think my spot is there anymore based on where I’m at in my career,” Exilus said. “By any means necessary, I’m trying to get myself out… I think God is able, and I also worked for it.”

“Experience counts for a lot. It gives you extra confidence to move forward. When you’re playing in the Caribbean Cup, you don’t feel a lot of pressure, unlike the other youngsters.”

Angelo Exilus, Real Hope Football Academy striker

Exilus recently signed with agent Jérôme Salbert to increase his chances of getting a contract overseas. The forward is eager to play in the Champions Cup with Real Hope, which will face Mexican giant Cruz Azul on Feb. 4 at Estadio Cibao in the Dominican Republic at 8:00 pm ET. The loser will get knocked out, but after making the Caribbean Cup Best XI, Exilus and Michel carry an extra boost of confidence.

“When you are named in the Best XI, you have to come in cool-headed and work even harder,” Michel said. “We can’t just stay in the Concacaf Best XI. We have to work harder to go even further.”

The post Haitian soccer stars say overseas experience earned them Caribbean Cup Best XI honors appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Haitian soccer stars say overseas experience earned them Caribbean Cup Best XI honors was first posted on December 18, 2024 at 8:34 am.