By Mark Gleeson (Reuters) -Haiti have a good chance to secure World Cup qualification on Tuesday, but the situation in the strife-torn Caribbean country is such that the coach has never actually been there. Armed gangs have taken control of almost all of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince in a conflict that has forced some 1.3 million […]
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Soccer-Haiti coach leading country he has never been to
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By Mark Gleeson
(Reuters) -Haiti have a good chance to secure World Cup qualification on Tuesday, but the situation in the strife-torn Caribbean country is such that the coach has never actually been there.
Armed gangs have taken control of almost all of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince in a conflict that has forced some 1.3 million people from their homes and fuelled famine-level hunger.
Travellers are warned against visiting the nation of 12 million people due to the risk of kidnappings, crimes, terrorist activity and civil unrest, the U.S. State Department says.
All that means Haiti’s 52-year-old French coach, Sébastien Migne, has never set foot there since being appointed 18 months ago.
“It’s impossible because it’s too dangerous. I usually live in the countries where I work, but I can’t here. There are no more international flights landing there,” he told France Football magazine.
Migne relied on information about local players from Haitian football federation officials by telephone. “They gave me information, and I managed the team remotely.”
PERSUADING PLAYERS TO PLAY FOR HAITI
But he has also worked hard to add to the squad players with Haitian roots from outside. He convinced former French under-21 international Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, winger Josué Casimir from AJ Auxerre, and former Belgium centre back Hannes Delcroix to commit to their cause.
They all played in last Thursday’s crucial 1-0 win over Costa Rica in their penultimate Concacaf qualifier.
“I feel like I’m representing my family,” Bellegarde told the website of his club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“It is a small country, but now we have the chance to play at the World Cup, so my family tells me it’s a good moment to play for Haiti, and I think it’s a big opportunity for me.”
Migne hopes to persuade Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor but the player remains undecided.
“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.”
Haiti’s squad is now all foreign-based, but they still have the handicap of having to host their home matches at neutral venues. They have been using Curaçao as a base, and it is there where they host Nicaragua on Tuesday.
HAITI’S LAST WORLD CUP WAS 1974
Haiti will qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1974 with a win if Costa Rica beat Honduras at the same time. Honduras lead Group C on goal difference from Haiti, with both on eight points, two more than Costa Rica.
Nicaragua are already eliminated.
Migne, who was an assistant coach for Cameroon at the last World Cup in Qatar, has frequently praised the attitude of his players despite the country’s difficulties.
His captain, veteran goalkeeper Johny Placide, said qualification could allow struggling Haitians a new perspective.
“It would be an immense source of pride for an entire nation – not just for us players,” he told FIFA.com on Monday.
“For young people, it would be a showcase, a new perspective. Honestly, I wouldn’t know how to describe it, because we’re not there yet and I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
“Right now, the difficulty is not knowing if we’ll make it, but we know we’re only one step away. We must stay composed and leave ourselves with no regrets.”
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)