As part of the CONCACAF Champions League qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA World Cup, as well as for the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2026 Pan American Games, the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) has appointed Cuban Raúl Valentín González Triana to lead the new technical staff of the U-20 men's national team. As head coach, Raúl González Triana will be assisted by Baltimore SC coach Ernso Datus as technical assistant, while his compatriot José Manuel Morejón Rodríguez will be responsible for physical conditioning.

The first phase of the qualifiers will take place from February 23 to March 4th, 2026. The Championship Qualifiers, which will be held from July 25 to August 9, 2026, offer qualification for several major international competitions :

• The 25th FIFA U-20 World Cup, scheduled for 2027 in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan;

• The 2026 Pan American Games, to be held in the Dominican Republic;

• The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The Grenadiers are in Group D, alongside their opponents: Curaçao, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Anguilla. The first-phase matches will be played at the Estadio Rinaldo Jean Francisca in Curaçao. The CONCACAF U-20 qualifiers will take place from February 23 to March 4th, 2026.

The main objective is to finish first in the group, which would secure the team's qualification for the next stage, where they will compete for a place in major FIFA international competitions.

Group D Qualifying Match Schedule :

Rinaldo Jean Francisca Stadium, Stadion Rignaal Jean Francisca, Willemstad, Curaçao

February 26, 2026 :

Haiti vs. Anguilla (5:00 p.m.)

February 28, 2026 :

Haiti vs. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (8:00 p.m.)

March 2nd, 2026 :

Haiti vs. Guyana (8:00 p.m.)

March 4th, 2026 :

Haiti vs. Curaçao (8:00 p.m.)

The Haitian national team's preparation began last weekend with a scouting phase targeting up-and-coming players from the Haitian Football League (LHF). After this stage, the best players will be selected to allow the team to prepare thoroughly for the two phases of the Concacaf qualifiers.

Learn more about the new coach : At 58 years old, Raúl Valentín González Triana is a former defender turned coach, renowned for his numerous stints at the helm of Cuba's national teams (Senior, U-23, and U-20). Between 2006 and 2016, he managed Cuba's senior team on several occasions, notably during the 2007 and 2011 Gold Cups. He made history by qualifying Cuba's U-20 team for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, a first for the country.

HL/ BF/ HaitiLibre