Haiti Reach World Cup Despite Coach Having Never Been To Country

Haiti person beaten Nicaragua 2-0 to suffice for conscionable their 2nd ever World Cup - contempt their head having ne'er been to nan Caribbean island.

The team's 52-year-old French coach, Sebastien Migne, has been incapable to group ft connected Haiti since being appointed 18 months agone because a conflict successful nan state forces them to play their location matches 500 miles distant successful Curacao - an land federation conscionable disconnected nan seashore of South American state Venezuela.

Since Haiti's devastating earthquake successful 2010, nan state has been successful turmoil. Armed gangs person taken power of almost each of nan nation's superior Port-au-Prince successful a conflict that has forced immoderate 1.3m group from their homes and fuelled famine-level hunger.

Travellers are warned against visiting nan federation of 12m group because of nan consequence of kidnappings, crimes, violent activity and civilian unrest.

"It's intolerable because it's excessively dangerous," said Migne.

"I usually unrecorded successful nan countries wherever I work, but I can't here. There are nary much world flights landing there," he told France Football magazine.

Migne, who was Cameroon's adjunct astatine nan past World Cup, relied connected accusation astir section players from Haitian shot federation officials by telephone. "They gave maine information, and I managed nan squad remotely."

Their squad is now each foreign-based and includes Wolves' France-born midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. They besides dream to seduce Sunderland guardant Wilson Isidor, who was calved successful France to Haitian parents, to subordinate them.

Haiti's triumph complete Nicaragua sealed their spot astatine nan summer's World Cup successful nan United States, Mexico and Canada for nan first clip since 1974.

They will beryllium joined by Panama, who hit El Salvador 3-0, and World Cup debutant Curacao aft they drew pinch Jamaica arsenic qualifiers from nan Concacaf region.

In Haiti's only different World Cup appearance, they were beaten by Italy, Poland and Argentina arsenic they were knocked retired successful nan first round.