Haiti's troubles fade briefly as it revels in World Cup qualification

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti held its breath for nearly two hours as its troubles seemed to fade with the promise of its first World Cup qualification since 1974.

Forgotten ever so briefly was the violence, hunger and homelessness after Louicius Deedson scored nine minutes into Tuesday's game against Nicaragua, and Ruben Providence followed up with a header just before halftime in a 2-0 win to send Haiti to the World Cup for just the second time in the country's history.

Shouts in Haitian Creole of “Grenadye, alaso!” filled the country's streets, homes and makeshift shelters as fans urged their team, the Grenadiers, to attack.

Haiti didn’t just need a win over Nicaragua; it wanted to prove that despite the multiple crises weighing the country down, it could still pull through and hold its head high like it has throughout its troubled history.

“It means more than just a win. It is hope, it is unity at a time when the country faces so many challenges,” said Pierre Jean-Jacques, a 25-year-old mechanic who watched the game at home. “I was fully focused. My heart was racing.”

After the match, he joined thousands of fans who bounced late into the night through streets normally empty at that hour out of fear of being killed or kidnapped.

“This victory brings a moment of joy,” he said. “I’m proud. I believe we can rise together.”

Tuesday night's win coincided with the 222nd anniversary of the historic Battle of Vertières, which helped Haiti become the world’s first Black republic.

“They couldn’t have chosen a better date for our warriors to go to the World Cup,” said Vladimir Dorvale, 18, who had a small Haitian flag tied around his neck and was walking briskly to a friend's house to talk about the game.

But the odds were against Haiti, where euphoria remained high on Wednesday.

The team played all their home games in the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao because it was too dangerous to do so in Haiti, where armed gangs control up to 90% of its capital, Port-au-Prince.

Their coach, Sébastien Migné, told France Football magazine that he remotely managed certain players who were in Haiti. He couldn't fly to the country where gang violence has shut down the main international airport several times.

When Deedson knocked the first ball in, gunfire erupted in André Michaud's neighborhood, startling the 23-year-old student who watched the game at a bar near his house because it had a generator and the power was out again.

“I didn’t know if the gangs had invaded,” he said, adding that he settled down after realizing it was celebratory.

“All my life, I’ve been supporting other teams in the World Cup: Brazil, Argentina,” he said. “Now, I can finally support my country. I'm hopeful that Haiti can go far."

Shortly after the victory, a joyful crowd marched through the narrow streets of one neighborhood under the rain, playing music and chanting, “Haiti has qualified! We don’t have a state!” in reference to the deep political instability rocking Haiti.

Thousands of other fans danced through the streets of Pétionville late into the night. When gunfire erupted briefly during the celebration, the crowd raised its hands and cheered. Such noise normally scatters people in a country where more than 4,300 were killed from January to September.

“I hope you guys are going to enjoy it. It’s not finished. It’s just the start,” forward Duckens Nazon said after the game in a video posted online. “There are many people who didn’t believe in us, but us, we believe in us.”

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Fans watch a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Haiti and Nicaragua, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Fans watching a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Haiti and Nicaragua celebrate Haiti's second goal, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Fans celebrate Haiti's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a soccer match against Nicaragua, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Fans celebrate Haiti's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a soccer match against Nicaragua, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Fans celebrate Haiti's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a soccer match against Nicaragua, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

MADRID (AP) — Spain star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday condemned the anti-Muslim chants made by Spanish fans during a friendly soccer game in the latest incident to dent the nation’s sporting image.

The Spanish government and the soccer federation also condemned the chants, and police said they were investigating the behavior by fans during Tuesday's game between Spain and Egypt in the city of Barcelona.

Yamal, who is Muslim, said the chants made by part of the fans at RCDE Stadium were disrespectful and intolerable. He said it didn't matter that the chants were not directed at him personally.

“I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist,” he wrote on Instagram. “Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe."

Racist abuse against players are not uncommon in Spain. Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has often been subjected to racist taunts during soccer matches. Sexism has also been an issue, as Spanish soccer endured one of its most embarrassing incidents when then-federation boss Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. He was eventually found guilty of sexual assault.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente also condemned the anti-Muslim chants after the game, which was part of the team's preparations for the World Cup.

“I feel total and absolute repulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitudes," he said. "They are intolerable.”

The game ended in a 0-0 draw. Egypt is a majority-Muslim country.

“Hate, racism, and xenophobia have no place in stadiums or in our society,” Milagros Tolón, the Spanish minister in charge of sports, said Wednesday.

Catalonia’s regional police said "we will investigate yesterday’s Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at the RCDE Stadium during the friendly match Spain-Egypt.”

Barcelona-based club Espanyol condemned what it called “racist behavior" at its stadium.

“Such actions are reprehensible and unacceptable, do not represent the values ​​of sport, and must be firmly condemned and eradicated from all sporting venues,” Espanyol said.

The club claimed that its supporters were being unfairly blamed for the incident in a “smear campaign” and that the national team fans came from “very diverse geographical and footballing backgrounds.”

Last year, an Espanyol fan accused of racially insulting Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams during a Spanish league game in 2020 accepted a deal to avoid prison time.

Spain is due to play Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, and also faces Cape Verde and Uruguay in Group H of the 48-team tournament. Egypt has games against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in Group G.

Spain was hosting Egypt for the game, which had originally been expected to be played in Qatar before the region was affected by the Iran war. A “Finalissima” game there between South American champion Argentina and European champion Spain was canceled after they couldn't agree to reschedule.

FIFA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Tuesday's chants.

AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth contributed to this report.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Spain's Lamine Yamal controls the ball during the international friendly soccer match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Spain's Lamine Yamal reacts during the international friendly soccer match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Egypt's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saves during the international friendly soccer match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente reacts during the international friendly soccer match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona , Spain, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)