Team Profile

A consistent presence in Concacaf’s continental championship, Haiti comes into the 2023 Gold Cup making its ninth appearance. Last time around, Haiti was unable to advance from the group stage and will hope this tournament looks more like the 2019 edition, when its run ended with an extra time loss to Mexico in the semifinals.

New manager Gabriel Calderon Pellegrino takes over a team that comes into the Gold Cup red hot, having rolled through its Concacaf Nations League League B slate undefeated, winning five and drawing one.

The coach is bringing in a roster full of Gold Cup experience, with FW Duckens Nazon and FW Franztdy Pierrot the only players in Gold Cup history to have scored more than two goals for Haiti. Nazon leads the way with seven, while Pierrot has six.

Overall, Les Grenadiers have a record of 11W-5D-13L, with 36 goals scored and 38 conceded since making their debut back in 2000.

Nazon is also one of Haiti’s all-time appearances leaders with 12 games, tied for first with Pierre-Richard Bruny and just two games ahead of current MF Derrick Etienne Jr.

GK Johny Placide, DF Carlens Arcus and DF Wilde-Donald Guerrier all have nine Gold Cup appearances and also will look to push Haiti past its best-ever finish.

Also on the provisional roster are MF Steeven Saaba, who helped Violette AC to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup where they were eliminated by eventual champion Club Leon, and FW Fabrice “Fafa” Picault, who played for the United States in a pair of friendly matches, but long has been on Haiti’s radar as a potential addition.

After falling short of its goals in the previous tournament but gathering steam heading into the summer, Haiti will hope to once again hold even, and perhaps surpass, some of the region’s top teams.