Weymouth Wales captain Hadan Holligan says the team is confident of bouncing back from their opening defeat last month, as they aim to secure a first win in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup — a result he believes could reshape local club football.
The Carrington Village-based side arrived in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, ahead of their Group B showdown with Haiti’s Juventus Des Cayes at the Cibao FC Stadium on Thursday. Holligan believes a victory on the regional stage would not only boost the team but elevate the profile of Barbados’ club football.
“People may look at this and say it is only one game, but it is a game against very good opponents. The fact that we have made it this far tells a story; it says a lot about what we have been able to achieve as a unit,” he said during a pre-match interview. “So just imagine what a win would do not only for us but for how football in Barbados at the club level is viewed.”
The Wales captain said the mood in camp is positive and the team has worked hard to correct errors made in their 3-0 home defeat to Cibao FC last month.
“We feel good, the boys are buzzing, and we are in a very good place ahead of the match tomorrow,” he said. “I think we have learnt from the mistakes that we made in the first game against Cibao at home and have been working hard on the training ground to make wrong things right. I know the players are all looking forward to the game and putting on a performance that would make our fans, stakeholders and the nation of Barbados proud.”
Wales have strengthened their squad as they push for a top-two finish in Group B, which would secure a place in the knockout rounds.
Former national skipper Rashad Jules, ex Brittons Hill United players Romario Small and Rommell Bynoe, along with Renaldo Trim and custodian Shaquan Phillips, have joined the squad following the most recent transfer window.
Holligan said the reinforcements have settled in well.
“Jules is a class player and has been for several years, and will definitely help up front, while Small and Philips will help the defence, with Bynoe and Trim providing stability in our midfield. We are just elated to have these players who have gelled together with the other players in the team as well,” he said.
Head coach Asquith Howell said the additions add dimension to the squad.
“They will put us in good stead, especially in the goal scoring department; they will help us a lot in the tournament,” he said in an interview.
“We have settled in pretty nicely. The team is continuing to work towards winning our first game of the tournament, and we are all ready and set to go. All the sessions have gone well; the players are really eager and ready to get going. I want the fans back home to rally around the team and support the squad. This is about supporting Barbadian football as well,” he said.
Howell is banking on a fast, high-intensity start to power the reigning BFA Premier League and knockout champions to a breakthrough victory over Juventus Des Cayes.
“We need to start the game properly and fast. The first 20 to 30 minutes of the game are key for Weymouth Wales,” he said.
Wales started the campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 defeat at home to leaders Cibao in front of a massive crowd at the Wildey Turf on a night when left-back Andre Applewhaite continued his goal-scoring form with Wales’ first in competition. Despite momentum shifting hands and waves of attacks, Wales failed to find the equaliser after a double from Rivaldo Correa. They will now shift their attention to returning to winning ways against Juventus.
The Haitian team secured a point in their first match, against Cavalier FC, with Peterson Seide scoring the club’s first-ever goal in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
Wales versus Juventus des Cayes will be the first-ever encounter between the two teams. It will also mark the first time Juventus des Cayes plays a club from Barbados, and the first time Weymouth Wales faces Haitian opposition. The only official tournament club match between teams from Barbados and Haiti happened when Violette AC defeated Paradise SC, 2-1, in the 2000 CFU Club Championship.
Kick-off for Thursday’s match is set for
8 p.m. (BT)
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