Overview:
Haiti’s women’s under-17 team will start its 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Sunday against Antigua and Barbuda. Fans not only hope Les Grenadières will make the next round of the qualifiers, but they also want to see a rising star. Two players that Haitians are putting their money on are Kerdina Lamour and Dieunie Love Beaubrun.
CAP-HAITIEN —Haiti’s Under-17 Women’s national team opens its 2026 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship on Jan. 25 against Antigua and Barbuda in Curaçao as the regional qualifier kicks off this week with hopes that a new generation of talent can follow the path carved by stars Melchie Dumornay and Lourdjina Etienne.
The game is part of the round one qualifiers that begin on Jan.24 and serve as the first step toward qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for Morocco in October and November. Haiti is competing in Group C alongside Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda.
For Haitian nationals, the tournament brings back memories of the past moments when young players emerged from the regional stage and went on to redefine Haitian women’s soccer.
Eight years ago, a 15-year-old from Mirebalais with a frail frame stunned women’s soccer in the region, winning both the top player and top scorer award of the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. That teenager was Durmonay, now one of the most accomplished players in women’s world soccer.
“Watch out for number 10, she’s a jewel.” “She’s from Petit Goâve, don’t come at her.”
Andresson Jean-François via Facebook
History repeated itself in 2024, when Pétion-Ville native Étienne won the top player award at the 2024 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. Étienne has since moved forward in her career and is now developing in France’s top division with F.C. Fleury.
As the 2026 qualifiers begin, Haitians are once again watching, not just for results, but to see whether another young player can seize the moment.
“I want us to qualify and discover a talent, just like Dumornay,” Michelet Jerôme, a Port-au-Prince resident, told The Haitian Times. “We discovered her talent early and she’s a world-class player now. She’s playing for a big club in Europe.”
Dumornay, now 22, plays for OL Lyonnes now in France. She finished 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking and was among the top five finalists for Globe Soccer’s 2025 Women’s Player of the Year award. She recently won the 433 Awards Women’s Player of the Year, receiving 55% of more than 856,000 votes, thanks to the support of the Haitian at home and the community abroad.
Despite Haiti’s political instability and gang violence, which have disrupted sports, seven of the 21 players called up from the U-17 World Cup qualifiers are based in Haiti. Among them, supporters believe two midfielders could emerge as standouts: Kerdina Lamour and Dieunie Love Beaubrun.
Lamour and Love draw fans’ attention
Lamour, a native of Petit-Goâve, is an attacking midfielder known for her speed, intelligence, vision and ability to use both feet. She is well experienced at the youth level and comfortable with her shooting capability from open play and in free-kicks. She has already represented Haiti at the U-17, the U-15 and the U-20 age group competitions.
She currently plays her club soccer with Celtic de Petit Goâve, a team based in the Western commune.
“Kerdina Lamour is one of the futures of women’s soccer.”
Foot Lokal, sports news via Facebook
“Watch out for Number 10, she’s a jewel,” Andresson Jean-François commented on Facebook. “She’s from Petit Goâve, don’t come at her.”
“Kerdina Lamour is one of the futures of women’s soccer,” Foot Lokal, a sports outlet, posted on Facebook Jan. 15.
Beaubrun, meanwhile, hails from Jeremie, a commune in the Grand’Anse Department and plays for Jeremie F.C. A central midfielder, she helps move the ball forward with quick passes and isn’t afraid to step in, win tackles and disrupt the other team’s rhythm.
Unlike Lamour, Beaubrun has yet to make her official game for Haiti. Still, fans already see her potential during the friendly games preparation for the qualifiers and say she turns heads.
“Here’s the next Melchie,” Ananias Pierre commented on Facebook. “She wears Number 8. She’s from Jéremie and is the future of Haitian soccer. Haitian Football Federation, Caleb Jephté Pierre [sports reporter], needs the proper support so the world can see her. Good luck, ladies.”
2026 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers
Group A
📍 Nicaragua
- Dominican Republic
- Nicaragua
- Belize
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Dominica
Group B
📍 Bermuda
- Panama
- Bermuda
- Suriname
- Bonaire
Group C
📍 Curaçao
- Haiti
- Guatemala
- Cayman Islands
- Saint Lucia
- Antigua and Barbuda
Group D
📍 Aruba
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Guyana
- St. Vincent & Grenadines
- Aruba
Group E
📍 Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Grenada
- Anguilla
- British Virgin Islands
Group F
📍 Curaçao
- El Salvador
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Curaçao
- Barbados
Group A
📍 Nicaragua
- Dominican Republic
- Nicaragua
- Belize
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Dominica
Haiti in Group C: the road ahead
Haiti’s Group C is a competitive pool where every match carries weight. All group matches will be played in Curaçao, with each team facing the others once, and only the top-placed team will make the next round of the qualifiers. After the round-robin phase, the six group winners and the two best second-place teams across all groups will advance to the Final Round, where four World Cup spots will be up for grabs.
Haiti’s 2026 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship schedule. Credit: Caleb Jephté Pierre
In the previous edition of the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States secured qualification for the tournament also held in Morocco. Haiti Les Grenadières failed to qualify in 2025, so fans hope this year’s qualifiers represent a chance to redeem themselves — and another opportunity for young players to step into the spotlight.
“I wish them good luck,” Jerôme said. “I hope the ladies can wave Haiti’s flag higher by making the next round of the qualifiers. Haiti is behind them.”
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