FLASH : Another victory for the U-15 Grenadiers in the World Cup against Israel [4-2]

Baku, Azerbaijan – October 26, 2026: Haiti’s young U-15 national football squad, nicknamed the Grenadiers, notched their second consecutive win at the historic first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup hosted in Azerbaijan, defeating Israel’s youth side 4-2 on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at Baku’s Hovsan Sports Complex. The triumph came just hours after the team’s dominant opening tournament victory against Timor-Leste, marking a rapid surge in form for the Caribbean side competing in Group AF. Competing under FIFA’s new innovative tournament rules, every match in this U-15 iteration follows an 8-a-side format on a half-sized 68m x 47m pitch, with total match time condensed to 40 minutes split into two 20-minute halves, while retaining full-size goal frames to encourage attacking play. Haiti’s starting 8 featured a mix of homegrown talent from domestic Haitian academies and clubs alongside one prospect representing U.S. side Orlando City SC. The fast-paced fixture burst into action in the third minute, when forward John Laroque of Les Cayes FC slotted home an early opener to hand Haiti an instant 1-0 lead. Israel drew level in the 27th minute, as Alon Abramovitch converted a penalty kick, but Haiti reclaimed the lead just three minutes later when Israeli defender Rafael Revivo turned the ball into his own net to make it 2-1. The see-saw contest saw Israel equalize for a second time in the 32nd minute, after Haitian defender Christopher Charles inadvertently redirected the ball past his own goalkeeper for an own goal. Two minutes after that setback, Haiti’s playmaker Aridou Benoit, representing the Jacmel Football Academy, unleashed a blistering long-range strike to restore his side’s lead at 3-2. The victory was sealed in the 40th and final minute, when substitute Hanelson Antoine capped off a slick, cohesive sequence of one-touch passing across the Haitian squad to fire home a decisive fourth goal, rounding out the 4-2 final scoreline. Following the result, provisional Group AF standings place Australia at the top of the table with a perfect 9 points from three wins. Haiti sits tied on 6 points with host nation Azerbaijan, but claims the second spot on the back of a superior goal difference, with 11 goals scored across three group matches. The rest of the group sees Andorra in fourth with 4 points, Israel in fifth on 1 point, and Timor-Leste at the bottom of the table yet to secure a single point. The Haitian U-15 side is set to return to the pitch on Monday, October 26 for two remaining group stage fixtures, first facing Andorra before taking on host nation Azerbaijan later in the day as they vie to secure a spot in the tournament’s knockout rounds.