Highly anticipated Haitian Special Championship season postponed amid referee strike

The opening round of Haiti’s soccer league Special Championship was postponed at the last minute after referees refused to officiate, reportedly due to unpaid wages. This dispute leaves participating clubs and fans uncertain about when they will see action.

“We prepared for March 16,” said James Cene, a midfielder for Ouanaminthe FC. “But this doesn’t surprise me because I know what country I live in. The state and the federation need to do better.”

Most teams were left scrambling after the abrupt postponement. 

Teams learned about the postponement just hours before kickoff —after having already spent money on transportation, field rentals, and other game-day expenses. Cene and his teammates were about to board their bus for a 41-mile journey north to Cap-Haïtien to play against the Football Inter Club Association (FICA) when they found out.

Meanwhile, vendors who rely on matchdays for income suffered losses after purchasing snacks and drinks they could no longer sell.

“The federation should reimburse the teams,” said Lovensky Calixte, a devoted Ouanaminthe FC fan. “This is nonsense. Our leaders should have prevented this.”

Federation announces postponement at the last minute

The Haitian Football Federation (FHF) blamed the referees in a public note for the abrupt postponement, saying the National Commission of Referees (CONA) informed them the night before that officials were unavailable. However, the FHF only announced the decision on March 16 at 4 p.m.—the same time the first matches were scheduled to start.

This marks yet another scheduling misstep for the FHF, which initially planned to start the season on Oct. 22 before delaying it to March 16. Now, with no new start date announced, teams and fans remain in limbo.

FHF blames referees, fans support them

FHF accused the referees of making a “last-minute decision” despite the federation providing travel funds.

“This decision, despite FHF’s efforts to ensure rigorous planning and transparent officiating, has put the clubs and league in an unfortunate situation,” the federation said.

The referees have yet to comment officially, but sources say this is not the first time they have refused to officiate over payment issues. Some fans support their stance.

“You promised to pay the teams, so you have to take care of the referees too,” Calixte said. “How do you start a season when the referees don’t even know when they’ll get paid?”

A second straight ‘Special Championship’ amid gang violence

For the second consecutive season, Haiti’s top soccer league is operating under the Special Championship format, as Haiti remains unable to hold a regular season due to gang violence in Port-au-Prince and the lower Artibonite Department.

This year, 13 teams are competing, grouped by region to minimize travel risks. Unlike last season, clubs from the capital, Port-au-Prince—Racing Club Haïtien, Violette Athletic Club, and Don Bosco Football Club de Pétion-Ville—are participating. They will play at Parc Saint-Thérèse in Pétion-Ville despite ongoing security concerns.

Their return has added excitement to the league, and fans are eager for a new start date.

“We’re still motivated,” Cene said. “If they tell us the season starts right now, we’ll put on our cleats and play.”

The post Highly anticipated Haitian Special Championship season postponed amid referee strike appeared first on The Haitian Times.