As Steve Clarke sets about learning from his team’s home defeat by Japan last night, some of his support staff are doubtless analysing a similar result for one of their World Cup opponents.
Less than 24 hours after Junya Ito’s late goal at Hampden Park secured a 1-0 win that tempered the euphoria around Scotland’s qualification, Group C rivals Haiti were going down by the same scoreline in a friendly against Tunisia.
At BMO Field in Toronto, the Caribbean nation lost 1-0 thanks to an early goal by none other than Sebastian Tounekti. The Celtic winger earned Tunisia the win by latching on to a defence-splitting pass and slotting a right-foot shot past the goalkeeper.
Tounekti might have scored another seven minutes later, but he fired his chance over the bar and Haiti stayed in the game. Not only did they then grow into it, they subjected their opponents to intense pressure as they went in search of a late equaliser.
The goal never came during a finale in which Haiti had Danley Jean Jacques sent off for a second yellow card, but it was a spirited performance by the side Scotland will face in their World Cup opener. More significantly for Clarke and his colleagues, it was a reminder that victory in Boston on June 14 will be no formality.
After all, Tunisia are ranked 44 in the world, just four places below Scotland. Even accounting for the multitude of variables that can make friendlies misleading, it was a clear sign that, if nothing else, Haiti will be competitive.
Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti celebrates his goal for Tunisia against Haiti in Toronto
Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor makes his Haiti debut after committing himself to them this month
There was a debut for Wilson Isidor, who came on for the second half to make his first appearance since pledging himself to Haiti earlier this month. The Sunderland striker, born in France of Haitian and Malagasy parents, brings to his adopted country the kind of quality they have been lacking over the years.
While a free-scoring start has given way to a mediocre season for 25-year-old Isidor in the Premier League, he is a quick, powerful forward who will add to the smattering of Haiti players performing at a high level for their clubs.
Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Jean Ricner-Bellegarde and Auxerre’s Josue Casimir played a crucial role in Haiti’s qualifying campaign. Born in France and Guadeloupe respectively, they switched allegiances recently and have inspired hope that Haiti can hold their own this summer.
This is only the second time in Les Grenadiers’ history that they have reached the World Cup finals. Having made it there in 1974, they failed to maintain those standards, thanks mainly to strife in their homeland, which led players to defect.
The perilous political situation continues with gang violence, famine and the collapse of state institutions, forcing Haiti to contest their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign entirely on foreign ground.
All their home games were in other countries. And French coach Sebastian Migne, who led them to glory without even a play-off, has yet to set foot in Haiti.
Only one of the squad Migne picked for this week’s warm-up is with a Haitian club. Midfielder Woodensky Pierre helped Violette to the title last month. The rest are based in Europe and North America, where many of them struggle for game time.
Haiti don’t face many top-tier sides, or indeed many from outwith the Concacaf region, which is why they are trying to make the most of this international window.
As well as Tunisia, who were picked for their similarity to Morocco, they will play Iceland, who are seen as closer in style to Scotland.
Steve Clarke has homework to do ahead of a World Cup opener that will be no formality
That game, in Toronto on Tuesday, will be behind closed doors, which isn’t much help to SFA performance analyst Mark McKenna.
These weeks are what might be described as the phoney war. While Haiti are playing Iceland, Scotland will be taking on Ivory Coast, and Morocco will be up against Paraguay, having drawn 1-1 with Ecuador on Friday.
Brazil, the Group C giants, face Croatia on Wednesday, having lost to France last week.
While the fans obsess over Scotland’s performances in a warm-up schedule that also includes a match against Curacao in May, gathering information about this summer’s opponents is just as important if Clarke is to maximise his team’s chances.
Brazil will be a free hit, Morocco potentially decisive, but realistically, Haiti is the game that must be won if Scotland are to fulfil their ambition of going beyond the group stage for the first time.
The rank outsiders might be an unknown quantity to the rest of the world, but Clarke will be poring over every detail of their warm-up games. At least, we hope he is.
