At 41 years of age Jocelyn Angloma is the oldest outfield player at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and remarkably, he is still one of the best. Those who remember him as the sure-footed right back marauding down the wing for France at UEFA EURO 1992 and 96 may not recognise him in the middle of the pitch impressively running the show for tiny Guadeloupe.
The French national playing for his native island - an overseas department of France in the Caribbean, and thus not a separate member association of FIFA - won the European Cup with Marseille in 1993, and he has again achieved something special by leading the Guadeloupeans to the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup in their first appearance.
With their quarter-final contest against heavily fancied Honduras, stylish conquerors of Mexico in the group stage, fast approaching, the former Inter Milan and Valencia stalwart spoke to FIFA.com about the tournament, Les Bleus and whether this is will be his last hurrah.
This truly must be a special time for you and Guadeloupe.
What does it mean to you personally to come back into international
football, help your team qualify for the Gold Cup and then make it
out of the group?
Well, it is obviously very special. It is a great
feeling to play with Guadeloupe here in this tournament, and I am
happy to help show what we're capable of. I couldn't be
happier about how things have gone and how the players have
responded to the challenge.
Have you seen your next opponents, Honduras? What do you
think about them and your chances moving forward?
We have taken the time to look at them. They play a physical
game. They run a lot, but they have good technical skill. They beat
Mexico after all, so we know that we'll have to come hard. We
are ready for the war and a tough match. But, at the same time, we
are going to play football because that's what we do. We like
to excite the fans and to make a show for people. The goal for us
is to win, reach the semi-final and then, you know, see what
happens. Hopefully we'll go through to the final of course.
But, we're happy with how far we've gone and with the
football we've played. The goal was always to show the kind of
attractive style that Guadeloupe can play.
What is your role with the team on and off the
pitch?
In France, we learn to play every position in a way, so
it's not that strange for me to be more involved and
controlling more of the play. I take a lot of the attention and
pressure off some of the younger players, who might feel more
nervous. Because I have been around a bit longer I have more
experience hopefully and can pass some of that on. As a leader on
the team, I talk more and am more vocal, and along with other more
experienced international players - players who play in Europe such
as David Sommeil - we work together to bring the inexperienced
players and the players who have played more for the national team
together. We really try hard to teach them.
Your strike against Canada (a 35 yard chip of the
goalkeeper from a difficult angle on the right side) was one of the
goals of the tournament. What can you say about that? Have you ever
scored like that before?
(Laughing) I have scored good goals in my career, but that
one was really special. If only because I may never score another
one like that. That alone has made this worth it. I think it was
largely down to my experience. I sensed the goalkeeper coming
forward and as the ball bounced, I struck it up high. Most
importantly, it got the match going for us. It got us momentum in
that contest, which turned out to be decisive.
What's the big difference between playing with France
and Guadeloupe?
Of course there's a big difference in the level of play.
All of the French players play at a high level and are used to
competing at a professional level with big European clubs. Whereas
for Guadeloupe, some of the players still play in the amateur
league on the island. And in fact, we had to completely restructure
the team to play in the Gold Cup by finding some players who had
Guadeloupean heritage who play in Europe. That was important to get
the level of football high enough to get where we are now, in the
quarter-finals.
What's your opinion of Caribbean and CONCACAF football
in general, and can you compare the experience of the Gold Cup with
playing in the UEFA Champions League or European
Championships?
The level of play has been good, and it's always getting
better. Obviously the European level is different just because
there is more experience, but we have teams here with a good amount
of World Cup experience and that means a lot. For instance we
played Costa Rica, and there is the United States and Mexico, whose
football is developing and are becoming, if not renowned, very good
footballing teams.
Guadeloupe, an island chain of about 450,000 people, has
produced either directly or through lineage a lot of football
talent for France - Thuram, Henry, Saha, yourself - over the years.
What do you think the reason is for this?
We definitely love our football, and we have great skill.
There is no secret. There's not much structure on the island,
but there are a lot of good players. But, a lot of them must leave
at a young age to find their way in the junior ranks at
professional clubs. In the future, you will see the trend continue
and more young players come through the ranks and play either for
Guadeloupe or France.
You became a professional footballer over 20 years ago, how
have things changed since you started?
Through the years, I have seen the game become more physical.
There is a lot more work that has to be done on the pitch to create
goals. Of course there are still players who play beautifully, such
as Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, and it's a shame that
there aren't more of those types of players coming through the
ranks. The game has also become more tactical, and I think you now
see more draws and fewer goals overall. But, the major thing is
that the game is much faster than it used to be.
What is your perspective on the French national
team?
They will always be a good team, and there are lots of youth
players coming through. The biggest quality of the French FA and
many of the clubs is that they are based on trying to develop young
players. The dedication to find and work with these rising stars
will always be one of their strengths.
What is in your future? Is this your last hurrah?
I don't really think about it that way. After the
tournament I will return to Guadeloupe and keep doing what I have
been doing -- playing in the amateur league there on the island,
working with the youth system to find and coach youngsters in
Guadeloupe and Martinique. I have been working with Lille (Ligue
One side) for the last year and a half to take prospective talents
to France.


