Haiti reach World Cup despite coach having never been to the country

Haiti has achieved a remarkable milestone by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for only the second time in their history, defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in a crucial match. This triumph comes despite the immense challenges faced by the team, including their French coach, Sebastien Migne, who has never set foot on Haitian soil since his appointment 18 months ago. Due to ongoing conflict and instability in Haiti, the team has been forced to play their home matches 500 miles away in Curacao, a small island nation off the coast of Venezuela. Haiti has been in turmoil since the devastating 2010 earthquake, with armed gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, displacing 1.3 million people and exacerbating severe food shortages. Travel advisories warn against visiting the country due to risks of kidnappings, crime, and civil unrest. Migne, who previously served as Cameroon’s assistant coach at the last World Cup, has managed the team remotely, relying on information from Haitian football federation officials. The squad, now entirely foreign-based, includes players like Wolves’ Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and hopes to recruit Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor. Haiti’s qualification marks their first World Cup appearance since 1974, joining Panama and debutant Curacao from the Concacaf region. Their previous World Cup campaign in 1974 ended in a first-round exit after losses to Italy, Poland, and Argentina.