Haiti reach World Cup despite coach having never been to country

Despite their manager not having visited the Caribbean island, Haiti defeated Nicaragua 2-0 to advance to their second World Cup appearance.

Due to a conflict in Haiti, which forces them to play their home games 500 miles away in Curacao, an island nation off the coast of South American country Venezuela, the team’s 52-year-old French coach, Sebastien Migne, has been unable to travel there since being appointed 18 months ago.

Haiti has experienced a lot of turmoil since the devastating earthquake of 2010. In a conflict that has forced 1.3 million people from their homes and caused famine-level hunger, armed gangs have taken control of almost all of Port-au-Prince, the capital city.

Travelers are cautioned against visiting the country of 12 million because of the possibility of kidnappings, crimes, terrorist activity, and civil unrest.

Because it’s too dangerous, Migne said, “It’s impossible.”

“I typically reside in the nations where I work, but I can’t here. He stated in France Football magazine that there are no more international flights taking land there.

Migne, who served as Cameroon’s assistant at the previous World Cup, relyed on phone data from Haitian football federation officials regarding local players. I was able to manage the team remotely after they gave me information.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, a French midfielder born in France, is now the only member of their squad, which is now entirely foreign-based. Additionally, they hope to persuade Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor, who was born in France to Haitian parents, to elude them.

For the first time since 1974, Haiti’s victory over Nicaragua placed them third overall at the World Cup of Summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

After drawing with Jamaica as qualifiers from the Concacaf region, they will be joined by Panama, which defeated El Salvador 3-0, and Curacao, who debuted in the World Cup.