Meticulously prepared, fearless underdogs are shining, in some cases against a backdrop of significant off-field problems
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It says a lot about the character of the players at this World Cup that teams such as Haiti and Jamaica are troubling supposedly superior opponents. Both sides have surmounted significant off-pitch problems but their extraordinary togetherness and collective competitiveness emphasises the values these women embrace. They want to use their performances to have an impact on their nations for the better, and it shows.
In Haiti’s case they reached the tournament against a backdrop of the aftermath of the 2021 earthquake, enduring violent crime, political instability, cholera outbreaks and allegations of sexual abuse against Yves Jean-Bart, the former president of the football federation. Nicolas Delépine’s team cannot play home games and this perhaps explains their deceptively low Fifa world ranking of 53rd. I was not surprised to see Haiti play so well in losing 1-0 against England because the quality of the team’s recent displays has been camouflaged by some ostensibly disappointing results.
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