"This CFU tournament is not designed for teams like Caledonia AIA to qualify for," head-coach Shabazz declared following his team's unfortunate 1-0 CFU Caribbean Club Champions Cup loss to Haitian champions Tempete on Good Friday at the Larry Gomes Stadium.
"With no prize money at stake, playing in this competition is more a question of a club being ambitious rather than it making economic sense," Shabazz said.
"It will cost us just under $200,000 in airfare, accommodation and so on to get to Haiti for the return leg. So far, we have just $20,000, but we have meetings this week with our sponsors NLCB, the Neal & Massy Group of Companies and several Government ministries, and hope to raise the funds."
That is the reality check facing AIA following their first sojourn into Caribbean level competition. The club from the impoverished Morvant-Laventille region have qualified for the Champions Cup for the first time, after also finishing a best-ever second in the 2010-2011 Trinidad & Tobago Pro League.
It should have been a happy moment, they having replaced the regular qualifiers and traditionally rich clubs like Joe Public and San Juan Jabloteh this time around. However, it seems Shabazz's problems have only just begun.
Caledonia AIA are a goal down, and short some $180,000 to go to Haiti on May 7 for the return leg of their tie against Tempete. AIA were unfortunate losers.
The first-leg was settled in just the fourth minute when Tempete struck on the counter attack through their captain Junior Charles, who beat Caledonia goalkeeper Victor Thomas to a ball on the right of the penalty area, before chipping the ball into the net. Caledonia AIA defender Akim Armstrong may have gotten a touch when trying to clear the danger.
Mere seconds earlier, Tempete goalie Guerry Romondt was caught out of position and forced to furiously back-peddle into his penalty area. But Caledonia striker Kevon Woodley let the visitors off the hook when he hit an attempted chip straight at the Tempete goalie.
Romondt immediately launched a counter-attack which resulted in Tempete's winning goal. Caledonia then went on full attack and Woodley even hit the left base of the goal a few minutes later, but AIA could not retrieve the situation. However, Shabazz still feels there is hope for a win in Haiti.
"It leaves us with our back against the wall, a position we are very accustomed to be in. At one point in the local league we were sixth, but we finished second," Shabazz said. "We outplayed the opponent and had four clear chances and a few other half-chances which we didn't take. They had two chances, and scored once."
Shabazz hopes to overcome Tempete in the second leg and at least get to the CONCACAF stage of qualifying where each team is guaranteed US $40,000 to travel to each away fixture. But for a poor team, Shabazz feels that the CFU leg is pure hell.
"When you consider that the three Caribbean teams which qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League still have to go through a playoff before entering (the competition proper), a group stage is an open insult to Caribbean football," Shabazz declared.
"Especially when you consider that the president of the CFU is also the president of CONCACAF. At least the Caribbean champions should advance directly to the open round in CONCACAF. Even blindfolded, Ray Charles could see that."