HAITI QUALIFY FOR 2026 WORLD CUP DESPITE MANAGER NEVER SETTING FOOT IN COUNTRY

It took a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua on Tuesday for Haiti to book a place at next summer's World Cup, which is being held in North America. The United States, Mexico and Canada are sharing the hosting duties for the 48-team tournament and Haiti – who have qualified for the first time in over half a century – employ a manager who has never stepped foot in the country.

Haiti, after accruing 11 points from their six qualifying matches, finished top of their group – ahead of Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Honduras will have a chance of securing passage into the international showpiece through the play-offs, but Sebastien Migne's side are flying the Haitan flag proud.

Migne, who took on the role in March 2024, has plenty of experience in international management as his career started way back in 2000; he was the assistant manager of Gaillard. Club football turned out not to be for him, and he has been either the manager or assistant manager for Congo, Togo, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea to name a few. But he recently reached a career-high.

Haiti Have Qualified for the World Cup, But Their Manager Has Never Visited the Country

Forced to play their games 500 miles away in Curacao, which recently became the smallest-ever nation to qualify for a World Cup, Haiti will be pleasantly surprised by how their qualification campaign played out. Honduras and Costa Rica were the heavy favourites before matches were played – and that was heavily down to the fact that Haiti's last participation was in 1974.

They now seem to be on track and Migne is at the helm. But why has the 52-year-old never visited the country he has managed for over 18 months?

Ever since the country's devastating earthquake in 2010, they've been in turmoil and armed gangs have staked a claim on almost all the capital city, Port-au-Prince. It's a subsequent conflict which has forced around 1,300,000 people from their homes and fuelled famine-level hunger.

As a result, individuals are warned about the dangers that come with visiting Haiti, where violence and civil unrest has become since the earthquake 15 years ago. Incredibly, Migne relied on using his telephone to learn information about local players from Haitin football federation officials. "They gave me information, and I managed the team remotely," he said.

When speaking to France Football magazine, per ESPN, Migne claimed that he has resorted to remote work because it's too dangerous to visit, hence why they play their 'home' football elsewhere. "It's impossible [to visit] because it's too dangerous. I usually live in the countries where I work, but I can't here. There are no more international flights landing there."

Haiti's most notable name is Jean-Ricner Bellegarde of Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he may soon be joined by Sunderland's Wilson Isidor. Born in Rennes, France, to Haitian parents, the 25-year-old is able to switch allegiances before making three senior appearances for Les Bleus; and he, in an interview with L'Equipe, left his door ajar.

"I would like to set myself the goal of going to the World Cup, it will always remain a dream. I have two options: France and Haiti. Haiti has already approached me, but I haven't made a decision yet. I'm currently focused on my club. In the French national team, I know the guys, I've played with them and against them."

Haiti, which is located in the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, are returning to the World Cup for over five decades – and it'll certainly be a chance to impress. Their only other appearance at the summer showpiece resulted in losses to Italy, Poland and Argentina, and they were knocked out in the first round.

- Daniel Hepburn

DALEY, DAWKINS CROWED CHAMPIONS IN NICARAGUA

Matthew McKoy
A close-up of the National Stadium track

JAMAICA’S JENOI Daley and Dequan Dawkins were respectively crowned under-13 female and under-15 male champions at the NACAC Age Group Championships over the weekend in Nicaragua.

The multiple-event championships saw Daley, the St Patrick Primary athlete, scoring a narrow two-point win over her nearest rival after amassing 2,735 points in the pentathlon, which lasted over two days.

Mikyla Sears of Barbados finished second with 2,733 points, while Amari Joseph of Grenada was third with 2,635 points.

Jamaica’s other representative, Danella Speed of Lyssons Primary, ended sixth with 2,608 points.

Daley’s best results came in the 60 metres and ball throw, events in which she finished second, clocking 8.37 seconds in the former and 42.60 metres in the latter.

She was third in the high jump with a clearance of 1.40 metres, fifth in the 1000 metres in 2:40.28, and seventh in the long jump with a distance of 4.29 metres.

In the girls’ under-15 age group, the Edwin Allen High pair of Danelia and Dashanelle Clarke had to settle for seventh and eighth with 3,872 and 3,838 points, respectively. Rosemery Aybor of the Dominican Republic won with 4,414 points, ahead of Rejada Hinds of Barbados, second with 4,340 points, and Jazae Johnson of The Bahamas, third with 4,284 points.

Jamaica did not fare too well in the boys’ under-13 category. Ricardo Granville of Naggo Head Primary ended 18th, while Davere Walker of Lyssons failed to finish his final event, the 1000m, and was not among the points earners in the end.

Dawkins of Kingston College was a comfortable winner in the boys’ heptathlon, a seven-discipline event, after amassing 5,096 points. His nearest rivals, Justin Shepherd of The Bahamas and Deshawn Oliver of Grenada, were both tied for second on 5,002 points — 94 points behind.

Dawkins’ teammate, Nahjeir Francis, also from Kingston College, ended sixth with 4,799 points.

Despite a slow start from Dawkins, where he ended 14th in the 80m in 9.70 seconds and finished fourth in the shot put with a heave of 11.58 metres, he went on to secure three consecutive first-place finishes. He won the long jump with 6.09 metres, the 80m hurdles in 10.77 seconds, and the high jump after clearing 1.86. Despite placing 13th in the ball throw with 52.50 and 10th in the closing event, the 1,200m in 4:02.21, he had enough points to stamp his authority.

There was also a mixed 4x100-metre relay for both age groups, where Jamaica was second in the under-15 division. The quartet of Dashanelle Clarke, Nahjeir Francis, Danelia Clarke and Dequan Dawkins finished second in 46.52 seconds. The Bahamas won in 45.74, with St Maarten, third in 47.61.

Jamaica did not field a team in the under-13 category, as Walker, who got injured and failed to finish the 1000m, could not participate in the relay.

- Raymond Graham/Gleaner Writer

CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE | AS IT STANDS IN LEAGUE A

 

OTTO ADDO POST MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE | NICARAGUA 0-1 GHANA