Haiti Celebrates Historic World Cup Qualification
The Caribbean nation of Haiti is in a state of jubilation, as it has secured its place in the FIFA World Cup 26™. Despite playing all its home matches on neutral territory, the Haitian team defied the odds and achieved qualification for next year’s world tournament after defeating Nicaragua with a score of 2-0 in the final matchday of Group C of the third round of Concacaf qualification. The “Grenadiers” proved their worth against renowned rivals such as Costa Rica, quarter-finalist of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, Honduras, with three tournament appearances, and a rising Nicaragua. Haiti surpassed them all, securing their second participation in a World Cup, the first since 1974. The road to qualification was not easy. Haiti achieved second place in the second round, surpassing Saint Lucia, Aruba, and Barbados, but suffered a defeat against Curaçao. The situation became complicated at the beginning of the third round. After a draw at home against Honduras, the team faced an unfavorable first half against Costa Rica, reaching halftime with a score of 2-0 against them. It was at that crucial moment that Haiti’s campaign took an unexpected turn.Despite the challenges, Haiti, once again, responded to adversity, defeating Costa Rica 1-0 in a decisive match. Unfavorable results from Honduras against Nicaragua and Costa Rica paved the way for this final triumph. Duckens Nazon, who is only five goals away from becoming Haiti’s all-time leading scorer, was the key figure in the qualification, scoring six goals, the most among all Concacaf players. Now, the entire Haitian nation will have the opportunity to shine in North America next year.Duckens Nazon came off the bench and a very quick hat-trick from the emblematic forward ended up giving a 3-3 draw on the final scoreboard.
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