Eric Viel, General Manager of Dicigel Guadeloupe-Martinique

After having marked its presence in cycling, Digicel recently held a press conference to announce the launching of the Caribbean Cup, a true boost for Guadloupean football.

Eric Viel, the general manager of Dicigel Guadeloupe /Martinique, did not want to disclose to the press the financial cost of the Caribbean Cup; however, Guy Roch, president of the Guadeloupe Football League (LGF), revealed that the preparation for this Cup required a contribution of 25 000 euros (US$32,000).

Extrapolating this, one can reasonably estimate that the investment of the telephone operator exceeds 100,000 euros (US$128,000).

On a purely sporting level, the preliminary phase of the Cup will take place in Guadeloupe from September 20 to 24. With two matches per day, at 4 pm and 8 pm, the four national teams, (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica and St Martin) will clash in the Abymes stadium, near Pointe-a-Pitre.

On the evening of September 24 one should thus know the first two teams qualified for the second round planned for November.

Three weeks before the beginning of this competition, are the Guadeloupeén “eleven” among the favourites? Nobody can affirm it, not even Roger Salnot, the team coach, who remains very guarded.

The selection of the Guadeloupe team has been affected by a lack of competition locally, where the championship has just started again, whereas in Dominica and in the other Caribbean countries, August is not a holiday month. However, the national team trainer pointed out that Guadeloupéans had performed rather well in a recent match against Trinidad’s Soca Warriors.

Martinique, which for a few years has performed very creditably in Caribbean matches, could, from our point of view, easily qualify. If this hypothesis is justified, which of Dominica, St Martin or Guadeloupe would be the other qualifier?

It is clear that the Guadeloupe team, which gets the advantage of playing at home for this first round, will try hard not to disappoint a public which they know are very demanding. Eric Viel of Digicel said he admired the Guadeloupe players who had moved on to play for the French national team and he hoped that the Cup remains in Guadeloupe.

In answer to a question, the president of the LGF, Guy Roch, indicated that for this first round, it would not call upon Guadeloupean players currently playing in the French national championship. But if the Guadeloupe team qualifies for the Golden Cup, the next and logical continuation of the Caribbean Cup, it would not be at this time impossible to call upon some of the great professional players.

Everyone then remembered the recent short statement of French national team defender, Lilian Thuram, who said he wanted "one day to wear the shirt of the national team of Guadeloupe".  It has been said that a few years ago Thierry Henry also made him a similar statement. But each knows the rules of FIFA do not make it possible for the Guadeloupe players in the French national team to take part in the international competitions of the Caribbean region.

The Caribbean Cup, which debuts in Guadeloupe in a few weeks, is without any doubt, the most important tournament in regional football, with 25 national teams.  The final phase will be played in Trinidad in January 2007, an occasion for the Guadeloupe eleven to demonstrate that, whether in France or in the Caribbean, the football players of Guadeloupe are a good value.