Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Haiti star duo send ominous message to Scotland ahead of World Cup opener

(Image: Rebecca Blackwell/PA)

Haiti ace Derrick Etienne has warned Scotland they have nothing to lose when they play them in the World Cup opener.

Scotland and Haiti will meet for the first time in the early hours of Sunday morning in Boston in their first game of the group.

Haiti qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years despite being forced to play their home qualifiers in Curacao because of the political instability in their homeland.

And the Toronto FC winger reckons the pressure is all on Steve Clarke's side. He said: "We're trying to do something that's never been done before. We understand it's a hard task, but we have a lot of belief in ourselves.

"We don't really have anything to lose, we have everything to gain, so that's what we're going to try to do. I think we delivered a message when we beat New Zealand in the friendly recently and the support we received was incredible.


Read more


"The country does so well in supporting the team. I think a lot of people were able to see that when we played in Fort Lauderdale, the support that we had and the atmosphere they created. We have a good team and I think our striker Wilson Isidor can do very well for us.

"He's direct, strong, good technically and can finish. So, the fact he's playing with Haiti is amazing."

And Wolves star Jean-Ricner Bellegarde can't wait to represent his nation at the World Cup. He said: "I feel pride for the people of Haiti.

"We know people might have a bad image of our country, that it has lots of problems, but this will do the country, the people, my family so much good. This is like a big celebration for them, and we are all going to enjoy it.

"Now are just going to go one game at a time, give our best, and see where that takes us."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.