Haiti's Qualification for the 2026 World Cup: When the Cry of Supporters Resonates Louder Than the Roar of Cannons

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— On this memorable evening of November 18, cries of joy transcended the oceans, spreading with incredible force, reaching the most remote corners of the globe: «We did it…».

In 1803, we did it, redefining the true essence of the word LIBERTY, which was then just a vague idea, tinged with colonial denial. It was a November 18, a date etched in memory, facing an army of prejudices, resonating under the weight of unjust laws and morally unacceptable cruelty.

In 2025, the echoes of this victory continue to vibrate, like a powerful patriotic symphony, with this new refrain: «Nou refe l anko». That Tuesday evening, as my uncle André would tenderly say, the heirs of «papa Ogou and Reine Dantor» made the universe tremble with their fervor.

More resonant than the explosions in the hot neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, more poignant than a stray bullet intruding into the innocence of a classroom, more heartbreaking than the cry of a mother, powerless before the horror consuming her child in Kenscoff, the goals by Deedson Louicius and Ruben Providence tore through the veil of curse that had weighed on our nation for over fifty years.

Despite the storm that swept over our land, this generation had the honor of seeing Haiti rise to the rank of nations in a World Cup final phase, in the heart of a country that, in the past, inflicted so much pain upon us, calling us terrorists: the United States of America under the reign of Donald Trump.

This 18th, in Willemstad, it was not about the images of atrocities perpetrated by ruthless hands of individuals in the name of Viv Ansanm. No, it was not the desolate picture of squalid unsanitary conditions suffocating our big cities, nor the incessant political crises or the endemic corruption of our government, not even the administrative excesses that plague our diplomatic missions.

It was the image of a Haiti in effervescence, surrendering to euphoric patriotism, relegating for an instant, and for a rare occasion, our internal struggles to the background. I am sure, even the most ardent proponents of unity were asking themselves: «What if we finally gave a chance to these true ambassadors of Haiti, these true statesmen: the Grenadiers?»

A segment of the country, merging in the conviviality of a sacred moment, paying homage to an indomitable spirit, united by the love of the homeland, where every song resonates like a hymn to unity and hope.

Jean Mapou