Striker Kervens Fils Belfort's goal in the 84th minute against the T&T Soca Warriors at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panam City, last night, earned Haiti a place in the to Copa America Centenario Tournament to take place in the United States in June.
Belfon's goal came after Pascal Millien's cross from the right side bounced through the T&T defence for Belfort to get the slightest of touches to beat a steady Jan Michael Williams in the T&T goal. And in added on time, Belfon again broke free of the defence but his powerful shot was somehow tipped wide by Williams.
Haiti also had their goalkeeper Steward Ceus to thank for their victory. The acrobatic goalie somehow pushed over a deflection from his defender when Joevin Jones whipped in a cross from the left side in the 87th minute.
The Warriors enjoyed the better of the first half but the Haitians changed pace when play resumed and it seemed only a matter of time before they scored the opener.
In a rare chance for T&T, in the 60th minute Mekeil Williams stormed down the left and centred for substitute Shahdon Winchester to lay off for Khaleem Hyland to hit a weak shot that failed to trouble the Haitian custodian.
The Haitians were disappointed when Belfon sprung the T&T off-side trap and with only Williams to beat, had his shot pushed wide in the 77th minute.
Still they continued to create discomfort for the T&T defence with a flurry of attacks that caught the defence backing. In the 82nd minute, the Haitians thoiught they had scored when Millien stormed down the right flank and delivered a pin-point cross that needed just a touch from Belfort and Sebastien Thuriere but it never came and T&T survived yet another time.
Earlier in the first half T&T struggled a bit to find the smooth passing game that earned them a draw against the United States at the Hasely Crawford in November last year, but when they settled they would have only themselves to blame for a number of easily missed chances in the first half of play.
As early as the 16th minute Jonathan Glenn went down from a rough challenge by the Haitian defence and from the freekick by midfielder Joevin Jones, but the Haitian custodian goalkeeper came out quickly before Glenn could get his head to the cross.
Two minutes later Jones again got some room down the rightside and centred through a crowded Haitian defence for Hyland on the leftside. However the stocky midfielder collected unmarked but his powerful shot was tipped over the crossbar. The Haitians also struggled to get their game together and enjoyed a brief period of dominance in the midfield but could not get their way through the sturdy T&T defence.
Haiti got a sight of goal in the 27th minute when Max Hillaire whipped in a cross from the left side and Jean Maurice collected free on top the area but fumbled his shot straight to Jan Michael Williams.
T&T's best chance came when Jones receive free on the left side from an earlier build-up but when he whipped in for an unmarked Glenn, he somehow steered his shot against the onrushing goalie from inside the six-yard box.
WALTER ALIBEY
walter.alibey@guardian.co.tt