Dominican Republic bars Haiti team from stadiums after crowd trouble
The Dominican Republic has barred Haiti’s national football team from playing at its sports venues after crowd trouble at a CONCACAF Nations League match. Haiti won 4-1, but the dispute has extended beyond the stadium, with complaints over fan behaviour and a player’s comment about the island of Hispaniola.
The Dominican Republic has banned Haiti’s national football team from playing at its sports venues after crowd trouble at a CONCACAF Nations League match in Santo Domingo. Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced the decision after incidents at entrances to the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium on Thursday night. Videos posted on social media showed groups of fans forcing some entrances and damaging one gate.
Cruz called the scenes unacceptable and cited a zero-tolerance policy on indiscipline. President Luis Abinader backed the decision, saying the sports minister’s position was that of the government. Haiti’s embassy said the remarks were made in the heat of competition and did not represent the Haitian government’s position.
It called for good-neighbourly relations and mutual respect. Haiti’s football federation also described the match as a positive night for Haiti and said competition should remain on the field while respect should prevail off it. Haiti won 4-1, with Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor scoring twice.
The result gave Haiti nine points in Group A, while the Dominican Republic stayed on six. Haiti are due to play Costa Rica in San Jose on Sunday. Isidor was filmed saying “Hispaniola is Haiti”.
Dominican Football Federation president Jose Deschamps called the remark disrespectful to national sovereignty and said the federation would complain to FIFA and CONCACAF.
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