The unexpected avenue Sunderland star could take to realise World Cup 'dream' next summer
Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor could still head to the World Cup with Haiti
Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor could yet find himself competing at next summer’s World Cup following Haiti’s unexpected automatic qualification for the finals in North America.
The Caribbean nation sealed their place in the finals for the first time since 1974 with a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua on Tuesday, despite their current head coach, Sebastien Migne, still having yet to set foot on the island.
"It's impossible [to visit] because it's too dangerous," Migne explained in an interview with France Football magazine. "I usually live in the countries where I work, but I can't here. There are no more international flights landing there."
Civil unrest and violence in the wake of 2010’s devastating earthquake has led to travellers being warned against visiting Haiti in recent years, and as such, the Grenadiers’ set-up is a somewhat unorthodox one. Alongside Migne’s lack of physical presence in the country itself, the national side have also been forced to play their home fixtures in Curacao - some 500 miles away - while all of their players are based abroad.
The most high-profile name in Haiti’s ranks is arguably Wolves’ French-born midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but according to reports, Migne could look to add another England-based star to his roster in the form of Isidor.
ESPN suggest that Isidor, who was born in Rennes and represented France at youth international level, is very much on Haiti’s radar as they look to bolster their options ahead of a relatively unexpected campaign in North America. To qualify for the World Cup, Migne’s men finished above both Costa Rica and Honduras.
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What has Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor said about the prospect of playing for Haiti?
For his part, Isidor has addressed the possibility of playing for Haiti before, but admitted at the time that he was still undecided about whether to accept the opportunity. Speaking to L’Équipe, he said: “I would like to set myself the goal of going to the World Cup, it's definitely still a dream. I have two possibilities: France and Haiti. Haiti has already approached me, but I haven't made a decision yet. I'm focusing on my club.”
Elsewhere, it was a historic night for former Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat, who guided Curacao to a World Cup for the first time ever. The 78-year-old will become the oldest manager in the tournament’s history next summer after securing qualification with the Blue Wave, who themselves are now the smallest nation ever to seal their spot at a finals. For context, the entire country has a population of around 156,000 - comparable to Telford.
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