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Haiti's Real Hope FA secure third place in Carib Cup and historic Champions Cup berth
Written by Sherdon Cowan. Posted in Caribbean Club Championships. | 04 December 2024 | 147 Views
Tags: Football

Haitian club Real Hope FA clinched a 3-2 victory over Dominican Republic’s Moca FC in the second leg of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup third-place series at Estadio Moca 85 on Tuesday.

The win secured a 4-2 aggregate triumph and confirmed Real Hope’s place in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, marking their first-ever appearance in the prestigious tournament.

Entering the second leg with a 1-0 lead from the first encounter, thanks to Stanley Joseph’s lone goal, Real Hope FA capitalized on their advantage. While Moca FC pushed for an early breakthrough, it was the visitors who looked more composed in the first half.

Huguens Michel nearly doubled Real Hope’s aggregate lead in the 38th minute with a curling free kick that rattled the right post, leaving the home crowd relieved but wary of the threat posed by the Haitian team.

However, the breakthrough for Real Hope came in the 66th minute, when Angelo Exilus finished off a swift counterattack with a precise right-footed strike inside the box.

That goal not only extended their aggregate lead to 2-0 but also placed significant pressure on the hosts. However, they responded just five minutes later, when Guillermo de Peña unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the box in the 71st minute to equalize on the night and breathe life into the Dominican side’s comeback hopes.

De Peña struck again in the 79th minute, this time he converted from close range after a well-placed header by Gustavo Ascona. His second goal of the night tied the aggregate score at 2-2 but left Moca still needing another goal to overturn Real Hope’s crucial away-goal advantage.

Real Hope FA, undeterred by Moca’s resurgence, reclaimed control in the closing stages as Daniel Saint-Fleur delivered a stunning strike from outside the box in the 90th minute.

Rapha Intervil then added the finishing touch in stoppage time, calmly slotting home from close range after being set up by Rikanel Chery in the 90+5 minute to cap a memorable night for Real Hope.

With the 4-2 aggregate win, Real Hope FA not only claimed third place in the tournament but also earned their debut qualification for the Concacaf Champions Cup.