The Caribbean nation of Haiti made history Saturday after reaching the final round of qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time with a 2-1 win over Senegal. The victory means the Terranga Lionesses will play Portugal in Hamilton on Wednesday to secure their spot at New Zealand and Australia’s July 20-August 20 event.
It was a historic day for the Caribbean side, struggling to find its feet in recent years, despite their rocky road over the past 18 months. The program is starting to make waves. With Roselord Borgella, Nerilia Mondesir, and 2022 CWC Best Young Player Melchie Dumornay at the helm, the team is finally taking steps to establish itself as a serious contender in the region.
Haiti’s Journey to the World Cup
Getting to the World Cup is no small feat for the Haitian women’s team. But that’s no reason to give up on the dream of being the next Caribbean team to play in a Women’s World Cup. With talented players already playing at the club level in France, the nation will likely be able to find its footing in professional women’s soccer soon enough.
The Haitian women’s team is currently ranked fourth in Concacaf, just two points behind the top-two teams in that group. It is also a strong candidate for the 2023 Women’s Concacaf Championships, which provide a doorway to the World Cup and the Olympics.
With so many nations vying for one of the final three spots at the tournament, there is no doubt that the competition is extremely competitive. But just two wins separate Haiti from a World Cup berth. A milestone that would be a hugely important achievement back home. That may seem unlikely for a team that has struggled to find its feet since the devastating earthquake in 2014. However, it seems the country’s young women are ready to tackle the biggest challenge of their lives.
Recap of the Game
During the first half of the match, Roselord Borgella opened up the scoring after latching on to a corner kick from Sherly Jeudy. It was her second goal of the game. She then snuck home another before the break off a Nerilia Mondesir pass to put the Caribbean side in control.
After a tepid start, Haiti’s offense began to heat up as they pressed the United States defense. Where they then created several chances to score independently. But the USWNT fought hard to keep the ball and kept Haiti off their own goal, although they did score on a flick-off from Mallory Pugh in the 16th minute.
The USWNT had more of the ball in the second half, but it was a different story as the Haitian side came to life. The team began putting pressure on the U.S. defenders and midfielders as the game opened up significantly in the second half.
