The 2026 CONCACAF Nations League group stage delivered a thrilling Caribbean derby on Thursday, October 1, when Haiti’s national men’s football team, nicknamed the Grenadiers, pulled off a commanding 4-1 win against the Dominican Republic at Santo Domingo’s Félix Sánchez Stadium. The result marked a third consecutive win for Haiti, extending their undefeated run through the early stages of the tournament against their regional rival.
Spanish head coach David Badía made only one adjustment to the starting lineup that had carried Haiti to two prior wins, calling up FC Lugano defender Hannes Delcroix to the first XI while retaining his preferred 4-2-3-1 tactical formation. The full starting lineup featured goalkeeper Alexandre Pierre of France’s FC Sochaux, captain Carlens Arcus of Angers SCO, Delcroix, Carl-Fred Sainté of USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC, fan-favorite Fabrice “Fafà” Picault of Atlanta FC, experienced midfielder Duke Lacroix of Colorado Springs, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jean Ricner Bellegarde, Louicius Deedson of FC Sochaux, Bodrumspor’s Ruben Providence, Jean-Jacques Danley of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, and striker Wilson Isidor of England’s Sunderland AFC.
Four second-half substitutions freshened up the side for Haiti, with Yassin Fortuné replacing Deedson in the 61st minute, Frantzdy Pierrot taking over for Picault just a minute later, Dany Jean stepping in for Isidor in the 72nd minute, and both Louicius Delinois replacing Providence and Kervin Quétant coming on for Bellegarde in the 82nd minute.
From the opening kickoff, the Grenadiers controlled the pace of the match, breaking the deadlock early in the 9th minute. Deedson put Haiti on the scoreboard first, converting a well-placed assist from Providence to give the side an early 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish.
Haiti doubled their advantage just six minutes into the second half, when a poorly cleared Dominican free kick fell to an unmarked Isidor inside the 18-yard box. The Sunderland striker made no mistake, nodding a clinical header past the goalkeeper to make the score 2-0.
The Dominican Republic, long undefeated in this tournament, got a lifeline just four minutes later, when Dorny Romero capitalized on a misplaced touch from Carl-Fred Sainté to fire a left-footed finish past Pierre from inside the box, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and reigniting hope for the thousands of home fans packed into the stands.
That hope fizzled quickly, however. Just 12 minutes after the Dominican equalizer, Isidor bagged his second of the match, extending Haiti’s lead to 3-1 and quashing any chance of a home comeback. The final goal came 10 minutes later from substitute Yassin Fortuné, who scored with a header in the 77th minute to lock in the final 4-1 scoreline and deliver a resounding statement win for Haiti.
Following the result, Haiti remains tied atop Group A of League A with nine points from three matches, level with Curaçao who have scored one more goal across their three wins. The Dominican Republic drops to third place with six points from two wins and one loss, while Costa Rica sits in fourth with three points, and Trinidad & Tobago occupies last place with zero points.
Up next, Haiti will travel to face Costa Rica in the second leg of their group stage fixture on October 4, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 PM local Haiti time at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá in San Juan de Tibás. The quarter-finals of the tournament are scheduled to take place in November 2026, with the final tournament round set for March 2027. All teams in the competition are competing for qualification to the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup, North America and the Caribbean’s flagship men’s international football tournament.