Former Harambee Stars Coach Reveals Pressure of Leading Haiti at 2026 World Cup

Former Harambee Stars coach Sébastien Migné has opened up about the pressure of guiding Haiti through the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a remarkable turn of events, Migné has successfully led the Caribbean nation to the global stage, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that he has yet to set foot in Haiti.

This will mark only the second time the country has appeared at a World Cup, their first and only other appearance coming 52 years ago in 1974.

Migné's achievement with Haiti is notable as the team, known as "Les Grenadiers," played all their qualifying matches away from home due to ongoing instability in the country.

Their campaign began with draws against Honduras and Costa Rica, followed by a win over Nicaragua. A loss to Honduras in their fourth match was a setback, but the team rebounded with a stunning victory against Costa Rica. They sealed their World Cup spot by defeating Nicaragua in their final qualifying game.

The squad will kick off their World Cup campaign against Scotland on June 13 in Boston. Six days later, they face a formidable challenge against record champions Brazil in Philadelphia.

Haiti will conclude their group stage matches with a game against Morocco in Atlanta. The top two teams from the group will advance to the Round of 32.

“I was lucky enough to come up against Brazil at the last World Cup with Cameroon. Things didn’t work out too badly at all for us in that one,” he told FIFA.com.

“We’ll be looking to repeat that feat. Had it been best of ten, we wouldn’t have stood a chance, but anything can happen in a one-off match. That’s what we all love about football and the World Cup.”

After speaking glowingly about Brazil’s star-studded squad, Migne was equally effusive in his praise for Seleção boss Carlo Ancelotti, the man he is preparing to face in a fascinating tactical duel.

The Frenchman at Haiti’s helm is also acutely aware that the prospect of facing Brazil has sent excitement levels among the nation’s passionate supporters soaring.

“They’ll get to see us play Brazil, and I think they’ll revel in the experience. However, knowing them, they’ll be expecting big things from us, which brings a bit of added pressure. It’ll be down to the staff and me to devise a game plan to ensure we’re up to the task.”

Migné is a French tactician with extensive experience managing national teams, particularly across Africa. After a career as a midfielder, he transitioned into coaching, beginning his African journey in 2013 with the DR Congo U-20 team before eventually managing their senior side.

He was appointed head coach of Kenya's Harambee Stars in 2018. During his year-long tenure, he guided the team to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

At the tournament, Kenya secured a victory against Tanzania but was eliminated after losses to Senegal and Algeria in the group stage.

Following his departure from Kenya, Migné's coaching career included stints with Equatorial Guinea, a role as Rigobert Song's assistant with Cameroon, and a spell at South African club Marumo Gallants before taking the Haiti job.