Haitian fans blame soccer federation for U-20 women’s early World Cup elimination

Fans saw this coming. They had no hope that Haiti’s under-20 women’s team would qualify for the World Cup. Les Grenadières did win their first two matches by at least two goals, but the team looked extremely disorganized and weak offensively. They took advantage of two weak teams, Antigua and Barbuda, beating them 3-1 and Belize, which they defeated 4-0.

After these two games, the fans conceded that Haiti would not be able to compete against stronger opponents if it made it to the next round of the qualifiers. But Haiti could not even beat an average Guyana side to advance to the final round. They were outplayed, outsmarted, outmuscled and outcoached.

Haiti’s under-20 women’s soccer team failed to advance past the first round of the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, falling 1-0 to Guyana in a shocking defeat. The loss, which many fans saw coming, has renewed criticism of the Haitian Football Federation (FHF). Fans argue that poor planning, including hiring a coach just two days before the tournament and failing to secure the team’s star player’s travel, ultimately doomed Haiti’s chances. Many are now questioning the federation’s leadership, pointing to a pattern of mismanagement that has hindered Haiti’s national teams in major tournaments.

Les Petites Grenadières sat in disbelief at the touchline, anguish written across their faces. Fans mirrored those sentiments but are also angry at the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) because they feel like the players were unprepared. Plus, the team’s star player, Lourdjina Etienne, could not make the trip from Europe due to yet another administrative issue with the federation. 

“FHF made the team get eliminated,” Osmain Sael commented on Facebook. “Those people are making us look bad.”

A normalization committee has run Haiti’s soccer federation since December 2020, after former president Yve Jean Bart was banned for life for alleged sexual abuse of athletes, including minors. Fans heavily criticized the committee because players have been absent in important matches far too often. Although heavily talented, teams are also often unprepared, so fans have said that players fail to showcase their full potential.

Haitians have also been denouncing the federation for hiring foreign coaches who they say are unfamiliar with the players. For instance, the federation hired Frenoy Baptiste, a Frenchman, two days before the U-20 women’s World Cup qualifiers started. 

Baptiste was the women’s senior team goalkeeping coach from 2021 to 2023 when Haiti qualified and played in the World Cup. Fans said Baptiste mismanaged the players during the under-20 World Cup qualification and condemned him for not starting Dominique Desert. Desert was one of Haiti’s top performers in the qualifiers, but she did not start on Tuesday. She was subbed in at halftime.

“To me, the biggest obstacle on the team was the head coach,” Caleb Pierre, a sports analyst, posted on Facebook. “It’s impossible in women’s soccer for a coach to succeed with a group he met two days before the start of the tournament.

“Twelve local players, seven expatriates, without any conversation about a game plan and playing warm-up games,” Pierre added. “On that note, the FHF leaders get 0/10.”

The federation has yet to answer The Haitian Times’ request for interviews with a committee member and coach Baptiste regarding the team’s early exit from the World Cup qualifiers and planning to avoid such a fate for other teams in future competitions. 

Before Baptiste, fans pointed fingers at another Frenchman, Nicolas Delépine, for the women’s senior team’s early exit from the World Cup in August 2023. They also criticized him for his players’ choices.

The under-17 men’s team qualified for the World Cup last week and is being coached by a Haitian, Eddy Cesar. To the fans, this proves that hiring Frenchmen as coaches is a stumbling block to Haiti’s soccer teams.

“You guys always put a Frenchman in charge of Haiti,” Nelson Estama commented on Facebook. “Didn’t you guys watch the U-17 boys… Too bad you guys hate your own country.”

The under-20 women’s team did not have chemistry in the attacking third, as if the players were not used to playing together or lacked coaching. It was the complete opposite for the under-17 boys, who connected well with their passes.

Some fans are hoping that the federation will fix its flaws so teams can perform better in the future. However, other fans are so discouraged after seeing the under-20 women’s team’s performances that they think the federation should call it quits on some of the youth teams.

“To me, we can take a break on some categories,” Dalien Peguy said. “The State doesn’t even have a budget for sport. If one of the teams qualified, it’s a miracle.”

Dubbed the ‘miracle boys,’ Haiti’s under-17 men’s team will compete in the World Cup this November in Qatar.

The under-17 girls team will play in the last stage of the World Cup qualifiers from March 31 to Apr. 5. They will take on Costa Rica, ermuda IslandsBermuda and Mexico.Haiti’s pride in the World Cup this year relies solely on them.

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Haitian fans blame soccer federation for U-20 women’s early World Cup elimination was first posted on February 26, 2025 at 3:47 pm.