Riverdale, NY – Manhattan junior defender
Francois Dulysse (Greenacres, FL / UCF) has been named to the roster for the Haitian National Under-23 team, which will compete in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament.
Dulysse and Haiti will compete March 20 – April 1, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Two teams will qualify through the tournament to play in the Men's Olympic Football Tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
"I am excited to represent both Haiti and Manhattan College," Dulysse said. "It means a lot to get this opportunity because I get to show everyone what it means to be a Jasper."
"We are very proud of Franky," Head Coach
Jorden Scott said. "We knew during the recruitment process how important it was for him to represent Haiti as he has done at the younger age levels. Being part of the U23 Olympic squad is a tremendous achievement and it speaks about our programs ability to recruit and develop for those talented and ambitious enough. We wish him well and look forward to sharing in his success"
Dulysse, a transfer from UCF who started 15 games and played over a 1,000 minutes for Manhattan this season, credited his move to the MAAC and Manhattan as a key aspect of preparing him for international play.
"Manhattan definitely prepared me in a positive way," Dulysse said. "Up here in the MAAC, this conference is much more physical so I felt like my aggression as a player evolved and I got better at that. The speed of play is high, and I feel confident going into this tournament."
Haiti was drawn into Group B with Honduras, Canada and El Salvador. Haiti is seeking its first ever Olympic appearance.
Dulysse will be the second member of his family to represent Haiti, as he will don the same kit wore by his father who also played for the Haitian national team.
Dulysse credits the Manhattan coaching staff for supporting his desire to follow in his father's footsteps.
"Their support has been huge for me and my family," Dulysse said. "I know a lot of coaches might not support their players playing international, they worry about them getting hurt and not be able to play in the fall, so having the coaches support is huge. It might not seem like a huge thing, but having them do everything they can to help me get ready for this opportunity has been huge."
Dulysse will depart for Mexico on March 10, with a friendly scheduled against the United States on March 12 before competition opens with Haiti taking on Honduras on March 21 at Jalisco Stadium.
