68,249 showed up to watch Haiti take on Morocco in Atlanta Stadium. The stands showed a sea of red and blue as the two sides faced off with separate goals in mind. For Haiti, playing for respect in front of a massive show of Haitian support. The cherry on top? Scoring their first World Cup goal in 52 years. For the Moroccans, a superior outing would provide better seeding in the knockout round, as a strong win would give them the group.
What initially looked to be a goal by Haiti’s Lenny Joseph was eventually credited as an own goal. The goal sent the stadium into a frenzy as Haiti’s 52-year drought had finally come to an end. Just 10 minutes into the match, things were looking good for Haiti.
Goalkeeper Johny Placide had already made 3 saves, key saves at that, through 36 minutes of the first half. The SC Bastia goalkeeper announced his retirement just a day ago at training with his teammates. But the dream of a clean-sheet farewell for Placide disappeared after Hakimi followed up Placide’s initial deflected save with a goal-line finish. The goal drew the sides level at one apiece and made for Hakimi’s first of the tournament.
“I wanted the world to put respect on Haiti.
Wilson Isidor, forward for Haiti
In the 43rd minute, Wilson Isidor finally opened up his goal account after firing a rocket from just outside the right side of the box. After Jean-Kévin Duverne recovered the ball for Haiti, he fed a pass to Isidor, who was calculated with his steps, and fired a rocket from about 25 yards out. The ball was hit with so much power that keeper Yassine Bounou didn’t stand a chance. But Morocco would respond swiftly, setting up a match that was much like boxing, with players ready to go round for round until the final whistle.
“It means a lot (ending the drought). Today we scored two goals. We are very proud of it,” said Haiti’s Wilson Isidor. “But it’s still frustrating because we didn’t get the point. But with the generation we have, I’m sure and confident to say that in four years we’re going to be here again and win our first point at the World Cup.”
Although the box score may read 4-2, the fans were treated to a six-goal thriller, with momentum continuously swaying throughout the match. Not only that, the match represented a special homecoming for local boy Louicius Don Deedson.
The FC Dallas forward started his footballing days with Kalonji Soccer Academy (KSA), led by Bruno Kalonji, before eventually moving to Atlanta United II. After that, his European journey began in Denmark with Hobro IK and continued with Odense BK. Last summer, Major League Soccer club FC Dallas sprang into action to bring the talented forward back to American soil.
“It’s a good feeling because Atlanta is like home to me,” said Louicius Don Deedson. “I grew up here, I have family and friends here, I went to school here. So being back here playing at a World Cup is something that every kid dreams of.”
A local kid got to live his dream, and Morocco sees itself through to the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Moroccans advance in second place on goal differential, with Brazil taking first place after its 3-0 thumping of Scotland. Morocco’s 4-2 victory came in thanks to goals from Achraf Hakimi, Ismael Saibari, Soufiane Rahimi, and Gessime Yassine.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Jon Jones
[…] things went Brazil’s way in Miami, Morocco crawled back to defeat Haiti 4-2 in Atlanta. The victors of both matches tied on points in Group C, but it was the Brazilians, […]