Haiti U-20 women’s soccer team secures second World Cup qualifier win, but fans remain unconvinced

Haiti’s under-20 women’s soccer team secured its second consecutive victory in the World Cup qualifiers, blanking Belize 4-0 at ABFA Technical Center in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda on Sunday morning, Feb. 23. Despite the victory by a rather large margin, several fans were heavily dissatisfied with Les Grenadières performance.

“This team isn’t good,” wrote Dakenson Louissaint, a fan of the team in a comment section of a team photo on Facebook. “They’re not organized to make plays. Their shots are weak. They get tired easily. They don’t have what it takes.”

The Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship serves as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Poland next year. The tournament is divided into multiple rounds, with teams vying for four spots in the final World Cup tournament. Haiti must first top Group A in this initial phase to advance to the final round, where the competition becomes significantly tougher. Nations like Canada, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic could stand in their way. Given Haiti’s history in youth women’s soccer—including its breakthrough qualification for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup—fans have high expectations. However, the team’s lackluster performances against less strong opponents have raised concerns about its ability to compete at the next level.

Néhémie Sainvilus, a 16-year-old forward, was on target twice against Belize. Briannah Crevecoeur and Pierreline Nazon also contributed to the scoresheet, with each scoring a goal. This marked Nazon’s third goal in two games, as she found the net twice during Haiti’s opener in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship, which also serves as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In that match on Friday, Feb. 21, Haiti defeated Antigua and Barbuda 3-1.

Belize was a much weaker opponent than Haiti, which is why Les Grenadières were able to secure a win despite their relatively poor performance. The same story played out in Haiti’s first World Cup qualifier match. The team did not play well but still managed to defeat Antigua and Barbuda 3-1. Due to these two back-to-back lackluster performances, fans have questioned Haiti’s ability to compete against stronger teams and qualify for the World Cup.

“This team has a lot of work to do to qualify,”  Liam Belizaire, another fan who lives in Port-au-Prince, commented on Facebook.

Haiti needs to top Group A to advance to the second and last round of the qualifiers. It is currently sitting in first place with six points. It will play its last game of the first round against Guyana—another weak opponent on paper—on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Guyana is placed second in the group with four points, following a draw against Belize and a 5-0 win against Antigua and Barbuda. A draw against the young Guyanese will be enough for Haiti to advance to the second and final round.

Six teams will qualify for the second round, but only four will qualify for the World Cup to be held in Poland next year. If Haiti advances to the second round, it may encounter tougher opponents like Canada, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

One of Haiti’s main weaknesses so far is that the players lack chemistry and energy in the attacking third. The team’s starlet and formidable striker, Lourdjina Etienne, could not make the trip from Europe to Antigua and Barbuda due to administrative issues.

Many fans believe that Etienne’s absence could be one of the main reasons for the team’s underperformance. Although she is only 17, Haiti’s qualification for the World Cup heavily relies on Etienne. She is a fast, powerful striker with eyes for goals. 

Etienne made a name for herself during the 2024 Concacaf Under-17 Women’s Championship last February, winning the tournament’s top player award. She later traveled to France for trials with Paris St. Germain and then with Olympique Lyonnais. She did not manage to impress in Paris, and the status of her trial with Lyon remains unknown. 

Haitian fans hope their starlet will return to action during the second phase of the qualifiers.

“This team is no good!” Manno O’Gustin commented on Facebook. “If Lourdjina doesn’t come, there’s no hope at all. We don’t need to lie to ourselves. Belize isn’t good at all. We should’ve given them at least 10-0.”

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