Haitians gather to meet Haiti National Team soccer stars ahead of World Cup
Miami-Dade’s Saturday rain showers could not damper the spirit and energy of dozens of Haitians, Haitian Americans and soccer fans crowded together waving flags, beaming expectantly at North Miami’s Moca Plaza to meet players on the Haitian National Football Team.
“I’ve listened and read about Haiti being in the World Cup in the 70s, but never got a chance to see them play,” said Odeline Paul, 49, as she draped herself in the Haitian flag. “It is such an amazing event to be here, at least to meet them, and to bring my son to be in this moment.”
Paul was one of many who came to North Miami, the largest city in the U.S. that is majority-run by Haitian Americans, to cheer on the team ahead of their first two friendly matches opening their way to the World Cup.
Many remarked to the Miami Herald that they were still in awe of Haiti’s qualification and bursting with patriotic joy over seeing their nation make it to the world stage again. Haiti has only qualified twice for the World Cup, in 1974 and this year. The team’s first game of three during the group stage is on June 13 against Scotland at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
The crowd eagerly waited for Haitian National Team players Duckens Nazon, Derrick Etienne Jr., Duke Lacroix and Martin Expérience to arrive after they traveled from their training camp in Port St. Lucie Saturday. Haitian konpa music pounded as fans danced to the rhythm and children passed around soccer balls.
Caudhy Salomon, a 15-year-old attending Miami Beach Senior High, has long idolized and looked up to the Haitian football team, driving his love for the sport and his decision to play for Little Haiti FC, a championship-winning team in youth football.
When he first heard Haiti made the World Cup he remembered jumping up and dancing.
“I’m very proud to meet them and so excited,” Salomon said. “I hope I play in the World Cup for Haiti.”
Maria Paul, 45, strongly believes that Haiti’s qualification transcends the game of soccer and is a statement of the will of Haitians everywhere.
“People in Haiti are very strong. We are powerful,” she said. “We’re doing everything to promote our culture and make the world see Haiti as a country like any other country. I don’t see why we have to talk bad about Haiti, we want this to be something positive and the team did it for us.”
Saturday’s visit with fans in North Miami is perhaps the closest the team will come to feeling the passion of home after plans to have the team travel to Haiti ahead of the opening game did not materialize.
With a strong introduction from North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme in Creole, the four Haitian National Team players walked up on stage, backdropped by loud cheers and applause. Nazon, Haiti’s leading scorer and fan favorite, took to the mic with a rallying cry to the crowd that their World Cup appearance must mark a change for Haiti.
“I want for this World Cup ... to be a change for the county,” he said, also in Creole. “I also want for you all to be the change ... We want to celebrate the country. I want for this World Cup to be the beginning of a new Haiti.”
Nazon, born in France, plays in the Persian Gulf Pro League in Iran, and recently made headlines. He was sitting on a plane on the tarmac at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport in Iran when U.S.-Israel strikes began. He was able to escape the country with the aid of the French Embassy, which helped him eventually board a plane to Paris.
He also remarked to the North Miami crowd that most people gave Haiti a very low chance of qualifying for the World Cup. But them beating the odds and qualifying, he said, shows Haitians can accomplish anything.
Haiti’s starring moment in the World Cup arrives at a difficult time. Haitians who can afford the ticket prices to see the matches in person face U.S. visa restrictions from the Trump administration that could frustrate fans from seeing the team’s matches and has delayed arrival of the country’s only player out of Haiti. As members of the team were arriving for training camp in Port St. Lucie last Sunday, defensive midfielder Woodensky Pierre was still stuck awaiting permission from the U.S. government to travel to the U.S.
In response, the city of North Miami is planning a watch party for what’s expected to be the biggest game of the tournament, Haiti vs Brazil on June 19.
Desulme told the Herald that Saturday’s meet-and-greet was put together within a day’s notice. He was beyond ecstatic for the Haitian community in Miami-Dade to have such an experience.
“After decades and decades, Haiti is finally back in the World Cup, the excitement is just through the roof,” he said. “This is just a wonderful gathering of Haitian unity and Haitian culture. Hopefully, their will be a big win.”
Miami Herald staff writer Michelle Kaufman contributed to this report.
%20Cropped%20(2).jpg)