MIAMI, Florida – Haiti is not tired of re-writing the present and future of women’s football, and they are taking the pitch to add their newest chapter with their debut in their first FIFA Women’s World Cup on Saturday at the Brisbane Stadium in Brisbane, Australia against England.
The journey to Australia/New Zealand 2023 to be placed in Group D alongside the European Champions, plus Denmark and China, was not an easy one for Haiti, however, this proved how much strength and talent the island has.
It started back in 2022 when Les Grenadieres finished third in their group at the Concacaf W Championship to clinch a spot in the Inter-Confederations playoffs that took place in February 2023.
This time, the world was ready to see these players go all the way through to achieve the one dream they have been working on the last few years: to be the second Caribbean nation to qualify to a Women’s World Cup. They did so by beating Senegal (4-0) and Chile (2-1), completing the journey to get Down Under.
This achievement can only be understood by the way the Haiti players have evolved in the last several years. One of them being Nerilia Mondesir, who is now a history-making footballer for her country, scoring the goal that sealed the ticket to the playoffs and the first goal against Senegal in the playoffs.
Arrivées à la fin de la préparation, les Grenadières ont déjà la tête à la compétition avec le premier déplacement prévu pour ce jeudi en direction de Brisbane pour affronter l’Angleterre. Retour sur le calendrier des matchs de poule .
— Fédération Haïtienne de Football (@fhfhaiti) July 19, 2023
Yon ekip, yon misyon, Grenadyealaso pic.twitter.com/oF2bJeEcXK
Another great talent that the entire world is waiting to see on the pitch is Melchie Dumornay. The 19-year-old has been a wonder since a very young age, winning the Best Young Player award in the 2022 CWC, playing in the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2018 and capturing the attention of some of the best clubs in the sport.
Haiti’s talent will be tested against current European Champions England. The Lionesses arrive to Australia as one of the top candidates to take the trophy home. With a lot of key players out of the squad due to injury, this time the road to get out of the group won't be easy.
After what she did in the 2022 Euros and the 2023 Finalissima, Chloe Kelly is one of the players to watch in this first test against Haiti. She scored the winning goal in both tournaments, helping her team create chances.
This is the first time these teams will face each other in a major competition. The European Champions against the team that is full of surprises. This is a match nobody will want to miss.
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 20, 2023
