Meet stars like Vini Jr. & Hakimi
©IMAGO
For Josué Duverger from FC Cosmos Koblenz, this summer will be the biggest trip of his football career. “A dream comes true,” says the 26-year-old goalkeeper of the upper division club from Rhineland-Palatinate. Because: He is part of Haiti’s World Cup squad and is traveling with the national team to the finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Participation in the World Cup is very important not only for him, but also for Haiti.
From the fifth division team from Koblenz to the biggest football tournament in the world – for Duverger, in his own words, a “great privilege”. “It’s also a way of saying that anything is possible,” explains the goalkeeper during his last training session in Koblenz before he boards the plane towards his World Cup dream. Duverger was born in Canada as one of four brothers; his parents emigrated from Haiti. At the age of 14 he went to Portugal. His goal: play European football – and do it as well as possible. “If you give yourself 100 percent and are disciplined about it, then I think you can achieve anything you want in life,” he says.
Haiti is taking part in a World Cup for the first time since the 1974 tournament in Germany – overall, it is only the second time that the Caribbean country has qualified. This doesn’t just mean a lot to Duverger. “We all know that our country is going through a lot of difficulties right now,” he said. Gang violence, conflicts and natural disasters often dominate the headlines about the Caribbean country where many of Duverger’s relatives and friends live. Qualifying for the World Cup means a lot to the country. It is “a sign of peace in the country,” said Duverger. “We also did it for them, for the people at home who are suffering a lot every day, struggling to find food, to have work and just get through this situation.”
In the preliminary round group, Haiti faces more than just a tough board: At the final round, which begins on June 11th in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Haiti is a clear outsider in its preliminary round group – also because the country is one of the teams with the lowest squad value at 55.9 million euros. The two most valuable professionals, Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor (18 million) and Wolverhampton’s Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (16 million) account for more than half of that. The opponents are then record world champions Brazil (squad value 909 million), World Cup semi-finalists Morocco (487 million) and Scotland (196 million). The Scots will be the first opponents in the selection of the Caribbean country on June 14th (3 a.m./CEST) in Boston. The chances are clearly bad: Haiti is in 83rd place in the FIFA world rankings – of the tournament participants, only New Zealand is behind in 85th place.
Duverger also knows the challenge: “Brazil is a fantastic team, one of the best in the world,” he says, but still emphasizes: “It’s eleven against eleven, anything can happen on the pitch.” Playing against the superstars from Brazil would be a great experience. These should not least include Brazil’s offensive stars Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) and Raphinha (FC Barcelona). Being in the goal of a penalty against a football great would be indescribable for him. Also a jersey swap with Brazil keeper Ederson – after all, he is also left-footed.
Haiti keeper Duverger: “I’m forever grateful to this club”
The 26-year-old is very aware of who he owes this opportunity to. “Here, right here, I get better every day,” he explains on the sidelines of the team training at the Schmitzers Wiese district sports facility in Koblenz. FC Cosmos brought him to the World Cup. “So of course I’m forever grateful to this club.” After being promoted from the Rhineland League last year, the club ended the season in ninth place.
It will be the biggest stage he can ever play on. “You play in a stadium with 45,000, 50,000 spectators, then you come here and maybe have 1,000 fans,” Duverger highlights the stark contrast. Is it even possible to return to the fifth division after the mega tournament, the hustle and bustle and the attention? The goalkeeper remains cool: “At the end of the day, it’s football.” In addition to all the loyalty, he doesn’t want to rule out the possibility that the World Cup could be a springboard for his career. “Whatever happens will happen – it is a World Cup after all.”
On his momentous journey, not only his wife and their one-year-old daughter are behind him, but also the “Cosmos Family”. “This is of course unbelievable for us,” says club board member Remo Rashica – there is no such thing twice in the world. Two years ago they brought the “penalty killer” from Portugal to Koblenz on a free transfer. There have been increasing inquiries from other clubs recently. “I’ll see him abroad in the new season,” said Rashica. “He’s not a major league keeper, he can play anywhere.” In 22 games he conceded 38 goals and kept three clean sheets.
“Everyone at the club is overjoyed for Josué,” reveals Cosmos head coach Admir Softic. With Duverger, the team made it into the top league and has been promoted three times in the last five years. The club website says the goalkeeper is “a role model of attitude, character and humility”. Softic’s first wish is that he gets playing time on the big world stage. Duverger is one of three goalkeepers nominated. The 26-year-old himself says he is preparing himself physically and mentally. It is not yet clear whether it will be used. So far he has made six international appearances, most recently appearing in the 3-3 draw against Costa Rica in the World Cup qualifier for Haiti in September 2025.
Participation in the World Cup is also something special for his teammates in Koblenz. Leon Rashica knows his goalkeeper’s strengths: “The man is tall, broadly built and has enormous quality.” The whole team will support him, says the player. “We carry the flag of Haiti very, very broadly.” Or as the club’s board puts it: “Of course they wish him and the entire national team nothing but the best at the biggest football event on earth.”
