Haiti move Nations League home clash with USA to Miami amid gang violence crisis

• Concacaf approves exceptional hosting arrangement

• Haiti to face US in South Florida on 14 November

• Miami’s Haitian community offers home advantage

On Thursday, Concacaf announced that it had approved Haiti’s request to relocate their Nations League quarter-final first leg on 14 November from Kingston, Jamaica, to Miami in an “exceptional hosting arrangement”. Haiti have been unable to play nominal “home” games within their borders since July 2021, with the United Nations estimating that 90% of Port-au-Prince – including the national stadium – is controlled by violent gangs.

Initially, Haiti’s match, the first leg of a home-and-away series against the United States, had been booked in Kingston. The Grenadiers had previously played their World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao, Aruba and Barbados. However, the Nations League format slated Curaçao and Jamaica to host their matches on the same night as Haiti’s, shunting Haiti to Sabina Park, the home of the Jamaica national team until their current venue opened in 1962. Now a cricket ground, Sabina Park hosted two of Haiti’s Nations League qualifiers.

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