Haiti reach 2026 World Cup despite manager never setting foot in country.
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| Haiti football |
Haiti sealed their place at next summer's World Cup with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua on Tuesday, although their French coach Sebastien Migne has yet to visit the island due to continued unrest.
Haiti, who are forced to play their games 500 miles away in Curacao, put the finishing touches to a surprising qualifying campaign that saw them win Group C over favorites Honduras and Costa Rica.
It will be Haiti's first World Cup appearance in 52 years, with their previous participation coming at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany.
Travelers are warned against visiting Haiti, where violence and civil unrest has been common since the 2010 earthquake.
Their squad, led by Wolves' France-born midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, is entirely foreign-based.
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"It's impossible [to visit] because it's too dangerous," Migne told France Football magazine. "I usually live in the countries where I work, but I can't here. There are no more international flights landing there."
The country are hoping to add in-form Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor.
"I would like to set myself the goal of going to the World Cup, it will always remain a dream," Isidor told French sports daily L'Equipe.
"I have two options: France and Haiti. Haiti has already approached me, but I haven't made a decision yet. I'm currently focused on my club. In the French national team, I know the guys, I've played with them and against them."
