"The lights went out, but the fans didn't budge. When they came back on, the whipping wind sent rain sideways. Even by Concacaf's lofty standards, the weather in Managua for Nicaragua's World Cup qualification match against Haiti last month was wild. "It was pissing rain. The fans were going crazy every single lighting strike. At one point it was raining so hard, I couldn't see where the keeper played it on goal kicks," Haiti defender Duke Lacroix recalled."
""The lights go out, the crowd goes even crazier," Lacroix said. "We come back out, no one moved a muscle. Everyone's still there." Yet, despite the difficult conditions, Lacroix and Haiti sent the crowd home drenched and depressed. Lacroix assisted the final goal in a 3-0 Haiti victory. "In order to compete on the road, you have to take pride in silencing those atmospheres," he said."
The Managua match featured extreme weather and persistent home fans; heavy rain and lightning caused a temporary power outage but spectators remained. Duke Lacroix described near-zero visibility on goal kicks and assisted the final goal in Haiti's 3-0 victory. Lacroix emphasized the pride in silencing hostile away atmospheres. Haiti cannot currently host matches at its national stadium, Stade Sylvio Cator, after gangs overtook and vandalized the facility in March 2024, leaving the federation without an approved venue. Widespread gang violence since the 2021 presidential assassination has displaced over 1.3 million Haitians, the UN reported in July 2025, and the UN called the situation an "unending horror story".
#haiti-national-team #world-cup-qualifying #stade-sylvio-cator-seizure #gang-violence-and-displacement
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