Concacaf has approved Haiti’s request to move their Nations League quarter-final first leg against the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, to Miami. The fixture is scheduled for 14 November under an exceptional hosting arrangement.
Security Crisis Forces Relocation
Haiti has been unable to host nominal home matches within its borders since July 2021. The United Nations estimates that violent gangs control 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, including the national stadium.
The match against the US had originally been scheduled for Kingston. Haiti played their 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao, Aruba, and Barbados. Because Curaçao and Jamaica were slated to host their own matches on the same night as Haiti, the team was moved to Sabina Park in Jamaica, where they played two Nations League qualifiers.
Home Support in South Florida
Miami features the largest population of Haitians and their descendants in the US, with nearly half a million residing in south Florida. The teams will play at Nu Stadium, which hosted the venue’s first international friendly—a pre-World Cup match against Peru—in June in front of a sold-out crowd of 26,700.
That backing contrasted sharply with the attendance at Sabina Park, where Haiti’s two fixtures drew an average of 297 spectators. Historically, the US has won four of its six matches against Haiti this century, while the other two games finished in draws.
This fixture marks Haiti’s return to the US following the summer World Cup, which was the Caribbean nation’s first tournament appearance since 1974. Although the team lost all three group matches against Morocco, Scotland, and Brazil, they received strong support from supporters in Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.
Concacaf Ruling and Next Leg
The second leg of the quarter-final will take place on 17 November at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
Concacaf stated that this flexibility will stay in place for the duration of the security crisis in Haiti. Haiti and clubs based in the country must seek approval from Concacaf for every match they wish to play in the territory of their opponents, which differs from the neutral sites previously used. The confederation noted that the measure may be modified or revoked by the Concacaf Council at any time.
Source: Football | The Guardian
