In a riveting Group A CONCACAF Nations League clash played at Kingston, Jamaica’s Sabina Park on September 24, 2026, Haiti’s national men’s football team, the Grenadiers, produced a stunning late comeback to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors. The result marked a dream debut for newly appointed Spanish head coach David Badía, who took charge of the side ahead of the 2026-2027 tournament.
Badía opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation for his first game at the helm, handpicking a starting lineup that mixed established talent with fresh prospects selected from clubs across Europe, North America, and beyond. The starting XI featured goalkeeper Alexandre Pierre of France’s FC Sochaux, defenders Carlens Arcus (Angers SCO, France), Garven Metusala (Colorado Springs Switchbacks, USA), Hannes Delcroix (FC Lugano, Switzerland), and Duke Lacroix (Colorado Springs Switchbacks, USA), midfielders Carl Fred Sainté (El Paso Locomotive FC, USA), Danley Jean Jacques, Fabrice “Fafà” Picault (Atlanta FC, USA), Dany Jean (SCU Torreense), and forwards Deedson Louicius (FC Sochaux, France) and Wilson Isidor (Sunderland AFC, England).
A series of tactical substitutions reshaped the match through the second half: Y. Fortuné replaced Picault, K. Quetant replaced Dany Jean, and J. Bellegarde replaced Sainté all in the 58th minute, R. Providence came on for Louicius in the 69th minute, and F. Pierrot replaced Jean Jacques in the 84th minute.
The action on the pitch delivered nonstop excitement from the opening whistle. Haiti broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, when Picault powered an unstoppable header past the Soca Warriors’ goalkeeper to put his side up 1-0. Trinidad and Tobago responded swiftly, equalizing just eight minutes later through Wayne Frederick, who slotted a clinical right-footed shot into the back of the net from inside the penalty area to level the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Trinidad and Tobago seized the lead early in the second half, with Levi García finding the back of the net in the 59th minute to push the Soca Warriors ahead 2-1. For the next half-hour, Haiti threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, and their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time. Metusala notched his first goal of the match in the first minute of added time to level the score at 2-2, setting the stage for a last-gasp winner. In the 8th minute of stoppage, Wilson Isidor outmaneuvered Trinidad and Tobago’s goalkeeper to slot home the decisive goal, securing a 3-2 win for the Grenadiers and sending the Haitian camp into celebration.
Following the opening round of group stage matches, Haiti sits tied for second place in Group A of League A alongside the Dominican Republic, both with 3 points from one win, three goals scored, and two goals conceded. Curaçao tops the table with 3 points and a superior goal difference, while Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago sit at the bottom of the standings with zero points each, having lost their opening fixtures.
Haiti will continue its group stage campaign in just three days, facing Costa Rica at Sabina Park on September 27. Subsequent fixtures include an away match against the Dominican Republic on October 1, followed by a second away clash against Costa Rica on October 4. The Nations League quarter-finals are scheduled for November 2026, with the final tournament set to take place in March 2027. All sides are competing for a coveted spot in the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup.