In Turbulent Times, Football Brings Haiti Hope

Since the gang violence has escalated, however, much of the country’s main infrastructure has been damaged through looting, fire, or other means, and sports facilities have not been spared. The FIFA Goal Center in Croix-des-Bouquets, for instance, which trained stars like Melchie Dumornay (Corventina) of Olympique Lyonnais in France, Nérilia Mondésir of Seattle Reign FC in the United States, and Kethna Louis of Montpellier HSC in France, was attacked, looted, and burned by the 400 Mawozo gang led by Wilson Joseph (alias Lanmò San Jou).

Likewise, the Sylvio Cator Stadium in southern Port-au-Prince, the home of Haitian national football, and the Haitian Olympic Center in Croix-des-Missions in the city’s north, where many young people would train in different sports, suffered major gang attacks in February 2024 and February 2026, respectively. The area around the Sylvio Cator Stadium is controlled by two powerful gangs, one led by Renel Destina (alias “Ti Lapli” or “Kaporal Lapli”) and the other by Johnson André (alias “Izo 5 Second”). The Olympic Center area is controlled by Claudy Célestin (alias “Chen Mechan” or “Stevenson Pierre”) of the Chen Mechan (“Mean Dog,” in English) gang in Plaine-du-Cul-de-Sac, and Jeff Larose (alias Jeff Gwo Lwa) of the Taliban gang based in Canaan.

Because criminal gangs control the main roads leading to the country’s Great South and Great North, the regular national championship has halted, forcing the national football league to adapt and organise a special competition so players can keep playing. Many sports parks are located in areas controlled by gangs, which makes the situation worse.

Despite all this, Haitian football is not dead. On November 18, 2025, the Grenadiers qualified for the 2026 World Cup, even though no qualifying match was played in Haiti because of the gang violence. Although the national team was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup, their participation brought joy to the Haitian people.

The sport continues to put smiles on people’s faces in Haiti. In this year’s Caribbean Football Union (CFU) U14 Challenge Series, which ended on August 23 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the Haitian U14 team won the tournament with a series of brilliant performances.

They beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 and French Guiana 5-2, lost 1-0 to Puerto Rico (after already qualifying for the semifinals), defeated the host nation 6-1 in the semifinals, and beat Jamaica 4-0 in the final to become Division 1 champions. This victory marked Haiti’s third CFU U14 title, following their previous championship wins in 2021 and 2022. All three titles were secured during a time when the country was going through a crisis.

To help these young players participate in the tournament, the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) organised a talent detection tournament across various regions of the island, with participation from several football academies. Young footballers were enrolled in a two-month preparation camp at the Dulaire Sports Complex/Training Center, in the municipality of Ouanaminthe and, more specifically, in the communal section of Haut-Maribahoux, a border area near Dajabón in the Dominican Republic.

The young champions returned home on Monday, August 24, to a welcome reception at the diplomatic lounge of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, organised by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Civic Action (MJSAC).

During the ceremony, the Minister of Sports highlighted individual performances, including Jerry Petit-Homme, who scored a goal just four or five seconds into the match against the Dominican Republic — one of the fastest goals in football history. Wensley Dumorné was named the Best Player of Division 1, and Jodley Sheeckensley Delmas was named top scorer, with seven goals.

Team captain Cedric Clairemond shared a warm message with Haitian football fans, on behalf of all the players: