Sébastien Migné is probably the only coach in the world to have never set foot in the country for which he works. Even the Moroccan Rachid Loustèque and the Algerian Noureddine Ouled Ali, who respectively coach Somalia and Yemen, two of the most dangerous states on the planet, stay there regularly.
But the insecurity is such in Haiti that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites, on its website, French nationals to give up all travel to the Caribbean island. “The entire country is formally not recommended due to the presence of violent and active armed gangs, the high crime rate and the very high risk of kidnapping“, it is specified there, in a last update dating from September 24.
The last match in Port-au-Prince dates back to June 2021
Since succeeding the Spaniard Gabriel Calderon Pellegrino, the former coach of Congo and Kenya has managed five matches for the Grenadiers: against French Guiana in a friendly in Cayenne (1-1, March 23), Sainte -Lucie (2-1) and Barbados (3-1) in June during qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in Wildey (Barbados) and finally Puerto Rico (4-1) and Saint-Martin (6-0) in League of Nations. “The selection has not played for years in Port-au Prince, because it is not possible to host due to the situation in the country“, explains Migné.
Haiti’s last appearance at Stade Sylvio-Cator dates back to June 12, 2021, when it hosted Canada (0-1) in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.It’s frustrating for the players to play anywhere other than in front of our supporters. Some have never even played in Haiti. I myself would like to go there for a few days to do some detection, or even some matches. Perhaps in Cap-Haitien, where the situation is a little calmer, we will see“, explains Migné, whose contract will end in December.
“The Federation is managed by a Standardization Committee which is in place until the end of the year, hence the limited duration of my contract. But as this committee could be extended, it is possible that I continue my mission.“
When we hear about Haiti, it is almost always for negative things
While waiting for what happens next, Migné and his technical staff must deal with the constraints imposed by the political situation on the island. Violence has increased since April, many embassies have closed and are no longer able to issue visas and leaving Haiti is often complicated.
“I select local players for each FIFA date, but they cannot come“, explains the coach. However, the 2023-2024 Haitian championship was disputed, even at the height of the violence between the police forces and the gangs. Two clubs – Real Hope and Ouanaminthe – even participate in the Caribbean Cup in Jamaica.
“Football is very popular in Haiti. We therefore consider ourselves, with the selection, as ambassadors“, intervenes Carlens Arcus, the international defender of Angers. The former Auxerre player, who was born in Port-au-Prince, where members of his family still live, has not returned to his country since match against Canada, and this distance weighs on him.
Because the Haitians do not know when they will be able to seal their reunion with their team. “We know that this will take time. The situation is still explosive, that hasn’t changed, it’s simply because the media talk less about it“, notes Dickens Nazon, the Grenadiers and Kayserispor (Türkiye) striker.
“ Even if we don’t talk much about what happens between us during the gatherings, there is a very important link between us and Haiti. Everyone on the team speaks or understands Creole, we all have family and friends there.“
Haitian internationals, whether born on the island or dual nationals, seem to experience “the same attachment to their country”continues Arcus. “And then, when we hear about Haiti, it is almost always for negative things: violence, earthquakes, cyclones, poverty, even though it is a magnificent country, with many assets. We can’t wait for things to improve…“.
The 2026 World Cup is a goal
Despite this forced exile which has lasted for almost three and a half years, the Haitians occupy an honorable 86th place in the FIFA rankings. This logistical precariousness, which deprives them of more massive support from their supporters, even if, as Migné points out, “at every match we play, there are always members of the diaspora to come and encourage us“, does not harm their ambitions.
“Look at the composition of the squad: we have players who play in Ligue 1 and 2 in France, in Greece, in Turkey, in Belgium, in the United States in MLS. There is still quality, and although we always have to play away, our results are good. And they would be even better if we could host in Port-au-Prince, where we are difficult to beat“, continues Dickens Nazon.
The Grenadiers are aiming to qualify for the 2025 Gold Cup in the United States and Canada (June 14-July 6), a competition to which they are subscribed and where they reached the semi-finals in 2019 against Mexico (0-1 ).
But the islanders are not stopping themselves from thinking bigger, and in particular from returning to the World Cup, fifty-two years after their first participation in West Germany in 1974.
“Canada, the United States and Mexico are automatically qualified as organizing countries. There are three other places to be taken directly and two via the inter-confederation play-offs, and I think we have a say“, insists Sébastien Migné. “With the solidarity that exists between us, reinforced by the tragedy that affects Haiti with our qualities, I think that we can compete with Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Jamaica”Arcus concludes. We faced most of these teams recently, and we sometimes won or were able to put them in difficulty. We therefore have the right to believe in it…”.
