The Caribbean minnows have overcome many obstacles to make it to their first senior global tournament, and they could spring a surprise or two
Eight teams are playing in their first Women's World Cup this summer, but none have a more miraculous story then Haiti. Since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021, violent gangs have seized control of the country, with an unelected government unable to calm the situation. There has been a sharp rise in violent crime, murder and kidnapping, with the country's calls for assistance falling on deaf ears across the international community.
Most recently, the UN revealed that due to a lack of funding, their food relief programme would be unable to assist as many as 100,000 people in the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. It is a truly catastrophic situation, only exacerbated by recent natural disasters, and it deserves more attention.
Haitian football has endured a difficult period recently too. In November 2020, FA president Yves Jean-Bart was removed from his post amid allegations of sexual abuse. Jean-Bart denies any wrongdoing.
Haiti's performance at the tournament won't solve these crises, but their mere presence in Australia and New Zealand will be a much-needed symbol of pride for those back home. As midfielder Ruthny Mathurin has put it, the squad are fighting to make people realise that "some people like the country still. Some people fight for it."
Les Grenadieres' World Cup kicks-off against European champions England on July 22 in Brisbane. It will be the biggest game of the players' lives and they'll be desperate to put in a good showing.
FIFAA long road to get here
Haiti's route to Australia and New Zealand began in February with the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. The tournament, which has been won by the United States in all but two of its 11 iterations, acted as World Cup qualifiers for the confederation.
To make it to the CONCACAF W Championship proper, Haiti had to top a group containing Cuba, Honduras, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the British Virgin Islands. They duly obliged, winning each of their four qualification games and racking up a 44 goal difference.
The next stage of the tournament was less straightforward. Haiti were placed in Group A, where they faced daunting matches against the U.S. and Jamaica – both of which they lost heavily.
However, a third-placed finish was secured courtesy of an outstanding 3-0 victory over hosts Mexico. Roselord Borgella got them off to a flying start with an early penalty, before Nerilia Mondesir also netted from the spot in the 67th minute. Sherly Jeudy then added some gloss to the scoreline shortly after Mexico had Greta Espinoza sent off.
This result ensured Haiti's progression to the inter-confederation play-offs. The semi-final draw was kind, with Les Grenadieres romping to a 4-0 victory over Senegal. This set up a winner-takes-all meeting with Chile in Auckland back in February – and it was a dramatic affair.
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The South Americans went into the tie as favourites and thought they'd taken the lead when Daniele Zamora met Yessenia Lopez's free-kick, but the forward's poked effort trickled past the post.
Instead, it would be Haiti who took the lead, with Melchie Dumornay bursting through on goal on the stroke of half-time and producing a wondrous finish into the top corner. The underdogs were far from comfortable in the second half, but defended gallantly and had the chance to rubber-stamp the victory in the 88th minute when they were awarded a penalty.
However, captain Nerilia Mondesir saw her spot kick saved, sparking fears that Haiti were going to let it slip – particularly when Chile struck the crossbar a few minutes later.
Dumornay had other ideas, though. Set free by a clever reverse pass from Mondesir, the Lyon star finished precisely to spark wild celebrations from her team-mates. Maia Jose Rojas' goal in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time made it slightly less comfortable than it could have been, but in the end it didn't matter. Haiti were going to the World Cup.
Full squad PositionPlayerClubGoalkeeperKerly Theus Miami CityGoalkeeperLara-Sofia LarcoGeorgetown UniversityGoalkeeperNahomie Ambroise Little Haiti DefenderKethna Louis MontpellierDefenderChelsea Surpris Grenoble FootDefenderMilan Pierre-JeromeGeorges Mason UniversityDefenderBetina Petit-Frere Stade BrestDefender Tabitha Joseph Stade BrestDefenderEstericove Joseph ExafootDefenderRuthny MathurinRajin CajunsMidfielderSherly Jeudy Grenoble Foot MidfielderDanielle Etienne Fordham RamsMidfielderJennyfer LimageGrenoble Foot MidfielderNoa Oliver Ganthier Weston FCMidfielderMaudeline Moryl Grenoble FootMidfielderMelchie Dumornay LyonMidfielderDayana Pierre-Louis GPSO Issy 92ForwardRoselord Borgella Dijon FCOForwardBatcheba Louis Fleury 91ForwardRoseline Eloissant NantesForwardNerila Mondesir MontpellierForwardShwendesky Joseph ZenitForwardFlorsie Darlina JosephGrenoble Foot@FIFAWWCThe MVP
No prizes for guessing who Haiti's World Cup hopes hinge on. NXGN 2022 winner Dumornay has been tipped to become one of the best players in the world for some time, and this summer she completed a marquee move to Lyon.
Before deciding on the French champions, as many as 50 clubs were interested in signing the wonderkid – a good indication of just how highly she is rated around the world.
Dumornay is best described as the complete midfielder. Despite her tender age, she dominates her opponents physically with driving runs, but is also an exquisite technician. Her footballing intelligence is off the charts toom and a move to Lyon, where she'll get to test herself against some of Europe's best on a regular basis, is only going to make her a better player.
She demonstrated her importance to Haiti throughout qualification, but particularly in that decisive Chile game. The fact she barely celebrated the goal that took her nation to the World Cup also speaks to her supreme confidence. She knows how good she is, and she's ready to take the World Cup by storm.
Coach Nicolas Delepine agrees, telling recently: "'When there's not much at all between teams, you're looking for her to do something. There are other stars in the side alongside her who can pop up and get her the ball, so that she can be the difference. She's also one of those players who makes her team-mates play better."