Overview:
Haiti squandered key chances and tactical decisions in a 0-0 draw with Honduras to open the final round of World Cup qualifying as host. Sports reporter Onz Chéry breaks down why Haiti fell short of earning crucial three points that could have placed them on top of Group C before a tougher match away to Costa Rica.
Haiti’s men’s soccer team missed an opportunity to start the final round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with three points, drawing 0-0 with Honduras on Sept. 5 as host at Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao—in front of fewer than 10,000 fans, mostly Haitians.
The Grenadiers looked the sharper team for much of the match and created more chances, but a combination of tactical missteps and missed opportunities left them settling for a single point. Striker Frantzdy Pierrot missed two golden chances in front of the goal. At the same time, newcomer and English Premier League-based midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Haiti’s most high-profile addition in years, was deployed in a role that minimized his attacking influence.
However, despite difficulties ahead for the Haitians, the result leaves them level in points with everyone else in Group C, where Costa Rica and Nicaragua also drew 1-1 on the opening night. With only the group winner qualifying directly for the next Summer global event in the United States, Canada and Mexico, every point matters.
Haiti’s head coach, Frenchman Sébastien Migné, lamented his players’ lack of efficiency in front of their opponents’ goal, but praised the defensive solidity of his team and expressed confidence for the future.
“We lacked precision in front of the opposing defense to score goals and secure a victory to begin with. It may be due to a lack of confidence, as we haven’t scored in several matches.”
Head Coach Sébastien Migné
“We lacked precision in front of the opposing defense to score goals and secure a victory to begin with,” Migné said in a post-game interview with the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) Media.
“It might be due to a lack of confidence, as we haven’t scored in several games. However, we have demonstrated that we are up to the challenge, and I am optimistic about the rest of the competition.”
Here are five key factors that cost Haiti a crucial win against Honduras.
1. Bellegarde was misused in midfield
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, 27, who made his debut after committing to Haiti this summer, is a versatile Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder capable of dictating play, scoring or creating chances. Yet, instead of using him higher up the pitch, Haiti’s coaching staff deployed him as a box-to-box midfielder, where he dropped deep to collect the ball and covered too much ground before he could pose any danger for the Honduran defense.
He excelled in the first half, controlling tempo and showing composure, but faded in the second half as fatigue set in. His deployment deeper also muted the impact of teammates Leverton Pierre and Danley Jean-Jacques, who were less effective in advanced roles. Had Bellegarde been positioned closer to the goal to roam freely behind striker Frantzdy Pierrot, Haiti’s best chance for a breakthrough may have been realized.
2. Pierrot’s technical limitations showed again
Frantzdy Pierrot, at 6-foot-4 forward—deployed in his natural position as a number 9—offers aerial presence but often struggles in Haiti’s quick attacking transitions. Against the Central Americans, he missed two one-on-one opportunities due to a lack of first-touch and was too slow on the ball when drifting wide or dropping into midfield.
The Haitian striker performs best when he doesn’t have to drop deep and remains near the opponents’ defensive third, waiting for a through ball and aerial crosses from the wingers or fullbacks on either side of the field.
His track record in big matches has been inconsistent, and Haiti’s need for a fast, clinical striker was clear. Yassin Fortuné, who entered late, immediately looked sharper, nearly scoring with a curling shot from distance in the 87th minute. Haiti may need to rethink its reliance on Pierrot moving forward.
3. Set-piece wastefulness
Haiti earned eight corner kicks but failed to convert any of them into goals, squandering a major advantage. Pierrot, usually strong in the air, and his teammates were either off target or poorly served him with crosses.
Against a disciplined Honduras defense—but showed weaknesses in dealing with balls in the air, set pieces represented Haiti’s best scoring avenue. Instead, the opportunities went begging, leaving the team without the cutting edge required to win at this level.
4. Lack of late-game pressure
In the closing stages, with the match begging for a decisive goal, Haiti’s forwards eased off their pressing. Honduras, by contrast, applied pressure to Haiti’s back line and looked the more likely to steal the game and all three points.
Whether due to fatigue or tactical choice, Haiti’s lack of urgency was glaring as the game was nearing the end. In high-stakes qualifiers, determination in the final minutes often separates contenders from those who fall short.
5. Louicius Don Deedson wasn’t ready to start
At 24, Louicius Don Deedson is considered one of Haiti’s brightest attacking prospects. But starting him against Honduras backfired. He had only joined the team the night before due to administrative delays and has barely been featured since moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) club FC Dallas in July.
Don Deedson looked tired within half an hour and failed to make an impact. Bringing him off the bench would have preserved his energy for a decisive late contribution.
Haiti’s starting XI versus Honduras in a World Cup qualifier at Ergilio Hato Stadium SDK in Willemstad, Curaçao, on Sept. 5, 2025. Photo credit: Haitian Football Federation (FHF)
The bigger picture
Haiti’s performance showed promise—particularly in possession and midfield control—but also highlighted the challenges of molding a team still reliant entirely on foreign-based players. The Grenadiers cannot afford similar slip-ups as they face Costa Rica in San José on Sept. 9, a much tougher test. But, with Costa Rica also failing to beat Nicaragua, reduced to 10 men for almost an entire half, the Ticos showed limitations that the Grenadiers could exploit.
A Nicaraguan player, midfielder Byron Coronel, was shown a red card in the 54th minute for a bad foul on a Costa Rican player as he was running away from his marker.
As for Haiti, however, drawing against Honduras, who looked beatable all game long, could prove costly down the road. To stay alive in the race for their first World Cup since 1974, Haiti must sharpen its attack, make better tactical adjustments, and seize the moments that matter.
The Grenadiers must finish ahead of Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua in the Concacaf matches to guarantee a spot in next summer’s soccer tournament
The country’s lone World Cup appearance came in Germany over 50 years ago, where Haiti’s team, led by striker Emmanuel “Manno” Sanon, shocked the world by scoring first in the inaugural match against mighty Italy and eventual tournament champions before exiting in the group stage with three losses for as many games played. Since then, Haiti has endured decades of near misses and heartbreaks.
In the 2010 qualifiers, Haiti reached the semifinal round of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football Association (Concacaf) play, a promising run that ultimately fell short of the hexagonal and final stage. More recently, Haiti struggled in the 2018 cycle, exiting in the early rounds after a disappointing series against Jamaica, and again in the 2022 qualifiers, where a heavy playoff defeat to Canada dashed hopes of advancing.
Those setbacks have only heightened the weight of this campaign. With Concacaf gaining more World Cup slots than ever before, Haiti has a genuine chance to rejoin the global stage. But the inability to beat a vulnerable Honduras side in the opener shows how small margins can derail that ambition.
Now, with tougher tests looming against Costa Rica and a resilient Nicaragua, the Grenadiers must prove they can translate potential into points — or risk seeing another cycle slip away.
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