The Dominican Republic has banned Haiti’s national football team from playing at its sports venues following crowd trouble at a CONCACAF Nations League match. Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced the ban after incidents at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo, where groups of fans forced through entrances and damaged a gate. Cruz called the behavior unacceptable, citing a zero-tolerance policy on indiscipline. President Luis Abinader backed the decision, saying it reflects the government’s position. Haiti’s embassy in Santo Domingo stated that the remarks were made in the heat of competition and thanked Dominican authorities for the event. The embassy emphasized that sporting rivalries should not harm good neighborly relations. Haiti won the match 4-1, with Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor scoring twice. After the game, Isidor was filmed saying ‘Hispaniola is Haiti,’ which Dominican Football Federation president Jose Deschamps called a lack of respect for national sovereignty. The federation plans to file a complaint with FIFA and CONCACAF. This incident occurs amid ongoing tensions, including the Dominican Republic’s increased deportations of undocumented Haitians. Previously, in 2023, Haiti’s sports ministry ordered its football federation to stop staging matches in the Dominican Republic after a border dispute.
