Sebastien Migne during return the leg tie of the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers match between Kenya and Tanzania at Kasarani stadium on Sunday Aug 4, 2019. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
Haiti secured a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua, sealing their second-ever global finals berth a half-century after their first appearance.
The achievement comes despite the team being led by a head coach who has never set foot on Haitian soil.
Sebastien Migne, the Frenchman who turns 52 this year, has been unable to visit Haiti since taking charge 18 months ago due to ongoing security concerns that have left the national team playing home fixtures more than 500 miles away in Curacao, an island off the coast of Venezuela. The country’s turbulent post-earthquake landscape, dating back to the devastating 2010 quake, has seen armed groups control large swaths of Port-au-Prince and forced about 1.3 million people from their homes, with hunger and lawlessness adding to daily challenges.
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Travel advisories warn visitors away from Haiti for safety reasons, citing kidnappings, crime, terrorism, and civil unrest. Despite those risks, Migne has continued to lead the squad from afar.
“It’s impossible because it’s too dangerous. I usually live in the countries where I work, but I can’t here. No more international flights are landing there”, the former Harambee Stars boss told France Football magazine.
Migne has relied on Haitian Football Federation officials to relay information about prospective players by telephone. Under his remote guidance, Haiti assembled a squad largely composed of foreign-based players and steadily built toward their World Cup dream.
Haiti’s path to the World Cup was sealed by their 2-0 win over Nicaragua, earning a spot in the summer’s global showpiece in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Haiti’s previous World Cup appearance came in 1974, when they were eliminated in the group stage after losses to Italy, Poland, and Argentina.