Rumors of Haiti’s World Cup team coach leaving untrue, FHF official says

A Haitian Football Federation (FHF) spokesperson has dismissed unverified reports about the future of Sébastien Migné, the Haiti men’s national soccer coach, saying no decision has been made yet since Les Grenadiers’ exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

“Those reports are rumors,” Jeanty Théciux, the FHF spokesperson, told The Haitian Times on Sunday. “For now, the federation is waiting for Coach Sébastien Migné to present his report for evaluation.” 

Until then, he added, the Frenchman remains under contract until December 2026.

Thécieux’s comments come after several online outlets and platforms reported that the federation had begun looking for a successor and that Migné was not interested in continuing after the World Cup. 

The unverified reports followed the Atlanta match where Haiti scored two goals against Morocco, the toughest contender in their group stage. To many fans, if Migné had put the star players in the starting half line-up instead of the second, Les Grenadiers might have won or drawn with the earlier contenders, Scotland and Brazil. Other observers also maintain that Haiti could have done better if it were led by “the right coaching staff.”

Former American soccer player Jozy Altidor — according to an interview with the online sports outlet FootKole — is among those who believe Haiti needs better coaching and support.

“To return to the World Cup after 52 years was very positive,” the former U.S. soccer star said. “With the amount of talent they have, they could have done better. They underperformed and need to aim higher.”

Moroccan fan David Raja, who spoke with The Haitian Times ahead of the Haiti-Morocco match in Atlanta, also saw Les Grenadiers as being highly competitive.

“They are a very good team that plays well under pressure, but they need a good coach,” Raja said.

Fans: Migné fulfilled primary goals, but failed to impress 

Regardless of what happens next, Migné’s tenure has already become one of the most consequential in modern Haitian soccer history. Whether he completes his contract or departs early, his legacy is complicated. It’s one likely to be remembered as a mix of accomplishment and unfinished business. 

When the FHF appointed the French coach on March 8, 2024, it assigned him three clear priorities:

• Return Haiti to League A of the CONCACAF Nations League.
• Qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
• Guide Les Grenadiers back to the FIFA World Cup.

Indeed, he guided the country back to the region’s top competitions, strengthening the national team’s roster with several top Europe-based recruits and ending a 52-year World Cup drought, Migné struggled to turn that progress into results against elite opponents. He also turned off many fans with his demeanor.

“I accomplished my mission,” Migné said to reporters after Haiti’s 3-0 defeat to Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19. 

His statement divided Grenadiers supporters.

Some interpreted it as evidence that qualifying alone had satisfied the coach, who was not ambitious enough. Others noted that Migné has completed every objective the federation established.

Fritz Adrien, a civil engineer and soccer enthusiast who lived through both the 1974 and 2026 World Cups, disagrees with those calling for a new coach. Pointing to Migné’s ‘good results,’ Adrien reminded Haitian supporters that progress comes gradually. 

“If it were up to me to decide, I would continue with Migné,” he said in an interview with Radio Magik9. “We must not forget where we came from and where we are today. 

“Today, we play Brazil and Morocco toe to toe and believe we can beat Scotland, whereas just a year ago we were losing to smaller CONCACAF teams,” he added. 

Success found, but with limitations

Beyond results, Migné significantly expanded Haiti’s player pool by integrating top diaspora players to the team, particularly European-based dual nationals. Among them are Jean-Kévin Duverne, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Ruben Providence, Wilson Isidor, Lenny Joseph, Dominique Simon and Josué Casimir, who became key members of Les Grenadiers.

Many observers view that recruitment effort as one of the strongest legacies Migné could leave behind, providing Haiti with a younger and deeper core for future international competitions.

Statistics from Migné’s tenure also explain why debate surrounding his future has intensified.

Since March 2024, Haiti’s only victory over a higher-ranked FIFA opponent came in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Costa Rica. Most victories came against lower-ranked opponents, and Haiti struggled against stronger competition in friendlies, the Gold Cup and eventually the World Cup.

Les Grenadiers lost 1-0 to Scotland, 3-0 to Brazil and were eliminated after two matches before closing the tournament with a loss against Morocco 4-2.

Tactical decisions under scrutiny

During Haiti’s World Cup run, many analysts and plain observers questioned his tactical decision to move away from the 4-2-3-1 formation that had produced some of Haiti’s best performances, including the 3-3 draw and victory over Costa Rica. Instead, Haiti frequently lined up in a traditional 4-4-2 before switching to a defensive 5-4-1 against Brazil and returning to a 4-4-2 against Morocco.

Grégory Ciel Bleu, who hosts Jeu Sans Ballon on YouTube, argued those adjustments reflected uncertainty rather than a clearly defined tactical identity. He also questioned personnel decisions, including substitutions and lineup choices.

“We had the possibility of making all the people dream at the World Cup with this talented team,” He said. But the coach took pleasure in making them suffer.”

Several commentators based in Haiti also criticized what they described as Migné’s limited engagement with Haiti’s sports media. The Frenchman even called criticism about his system “low-level.”

Soccer legend Philippe Vorbe, who represented Les Grenadiers at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, defended Migné against his critics. Speaking on Magik 9 June 25, Vorbe praised the French coach.

“If I were in charge of an African football federation and had seen Migné’s performance against Morocco, given the level of African competition, I would probably be interested in hiring my own Migné in hopes of achieving similar results,” the former Haitian midfielder said. 

He also reminded supporters that Haiti was unlucky to be drawn into what was described as a “group of death” alongside three teams ranked in the top 30 by FIFA. 

And Vorbe thinks it’s not a good idea to dismiss him. 

“There are people who don’t know much about football and judge everything by the results. When the results don’t come, the first person they blame is the coach,” Vorbe said.

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