Haiti’s national soccer team qualified for the 2026 World Cup by defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in Curaçao on Tuesday in the final day of Group C of the CONCACAF qualifiers.
Impoverished Haiti, coached by Frenchman Sébastien Migné, will play in the World Cup for the second time in its history after its only participation, in Germany 1974, when it was eliminated in the first round.
Deedson and Providence lead the win
Louicius Deedson, in the 9th minute, and Ruben Providence, in the 45th minute, scored the goals that secured the Caribbean team’s place in the 2026 World Cup to be played in Canada, the United States and Mexico next summer.
Haiti, which has been plunged into a severe crisis for years.
It achieved its historic qualification just as the country celebrates the 222nd anniversary of the Battle of Vertières.
This battle defined the island’s independence from France, so the game was labeled a “decisive battle” by the Haitian Football Federation (FHF).
The Haitians won Group C with 11 points, ahead of favorites Honduras (9) and Costa Rica (7), who tied in the other match.
Nicaragua, with 4 points, was last.
Haiti secured first place with a convincing 2-0 win over Nicaragua in Curaçao with goals from Deedson and Providence.
Success away from home
The Nicaraguan team, coached by Chilean Marco Antonio ‘Fantasma’ Figueroa, fell short of their World Cup dreams.
With its return to the elite of world soccer, Haiti crowned an atypical campaign in which it did not play on home soil with success.
The match was played at the Ergilio Sato Stadium in Curaçao.
Here the Haitian team played as home team due to the impossibility of using their field because of the social crisis that Haiti is going through.
Since February 2024, the country’s main soccer stadium, the Stade Sylvio Cator, has been abandoned and under the domination of armed gangs, which control at least 90% of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan region.
Soccer, the king of Haitian sports, is one of the few activities that unites the entire population despite their differences.
Technical data
2. Haiti: Johnny Placide; Carlens Arcus (Stéphane Lambese, m.84), Ricardo Ade, Hannes Delcroix, Markhus Lacroix; Jean Bellegarde, Leverton Pierre, Ruben Providence (Carl Sainté, m.84), Louicius Deedson (Martin Expérience, m.63); Frantzdy Pierrot (Duckens Nazon, m.32) and Josue Casimir.
Coach: Sébastien Migné (FRA).
Nicaragua: Alyer López; Josué Quijano, Justing Cano, Henry Niño (Jason Coronel, m.46), Óscar Acevedo; Cristhian Reyes, Junior Arteaga (Wildman Talavera, m.70), Ariel Aráuz (Byron Bonilla, m.46), Bancy Hernández; Juan Barrera (Jonathan Moncada, m.57) and Jaime Moreno.
Coach: Marco Antonio Figueroa (CHI).
Goals: 1-0, minute 9: Louicius Deedson. 2-0, 45+1: Ruben Providence.
Referee: Guatemalan Mario Alberto Escobar Toca. Yellow cards for Haiti’s Hannes Delcroix, Carlens Arcus, Stephane Lambese, and Duckens Nazon, and Nicaragua’s Henry Niño, Wildman Talavera and Criisthian Reyes.
Incidents: Match played at the Ergilio Sato Stadium, in Curaçao, corresponding to the sixth and final matchday of Group C of the final phase of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
With information from EFE
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