The Dominican Republic has imposed a ban on Haiti’s national football team playing at domestic sports venues, citing disorder among supporters during a CONCACAF Nations League fixture between the two neighboring Caribbean nations.
Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced the penalty after incidents occurred on Thursday night outside the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo. Social media footage displayed groups of fans breaching perimeter entrances and causing damage to one of the stadium gates.
“What we saw yesterday with a gate at the Felix Sanchez, a sports facility that has cost millions and millions of pesos to make it shine, is unacceptable,” Cruz stated, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to indiscipline.
President Luis Abinader voiced full support for the minister’s decision. “The position of the Sports Minister is the position of the Government,” he said.
Haiti secured a decisive 4-1 victory in the match, with Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor netting two goals. The win lifted Haiti to nine points in Group A, while the Dominican Republic stayed on six. Isidor was also captured on video stating, “Hispaniola is Haiti,” a reference to the island shared by both nations.
The comment intensified existing tensions regarding migration and border security. Dominican Football Federation president Jose Deschamps condemned the remark as disrespectful to national sovereignty and confirmed that his organization would file a formal complaint with FIFA and CONCACAF.
In response, Haiti’s embassy in Santo Domingo clarified that the remarks were made “in the heat of competition” and did not reflect the official stance of the Haitian government. The embassy thanked Dominican authorities for their role in ensuring the event proceeded and urged that sporting rivalries not undermine bilateral relations.
“Sporting rivalries must not call into question relations of good neighborliness and mutual respect that must prevail between the two states,” the embassy said in a statement. Following the match, the Haitian federation posted on X: “On the field, competition; off the field, respect for the neighbor.HT
The incident highlights the recurring friction between the two countries. In 2023, Haiti’s sports ministry ordered the suspension of national team matches in the Dominican Republic after President Abinader closed the border during a dispute over a canal project on the Massacre River.
Tensions have escalated further since October 2024, when Abinader’s administration pledged to deport up to 10,000 undocumented Haitians per week, leading to a significant increase in removals.
Why is politics always ruining the beautiful game? Can’t they just let athletes compete without dragging borders into it?
I’m shocked by the stadium damage. Sports venues cost millions to maintain; vandals have no place in football culture.
This ban seems excessive for one match. Hope both federations can cool down before it affects youth tournaments too.