Preview:Haiti vs Nicaragua - prediction, team news, lineups

It is all or nothing for Haiti in their push for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they go head to head with Nicaragua in their final qualifying game on Tuesday night.

Currently behind first-placed Honduras on goal difference, victory at the Ergilio Hato Stadium alone will not be enough for Les Grenadiers, who need results in the other group fixtures to swing their way if they are to guarantee their spot in the global tournament.

Match preview

Haiti have come a long way as a footballing side over the years, and the Caribbean nation find themselves on the cusp of securing a spot in the World Cup for the first time since 1974.

Sebastien Migne’s men picked up three huge points in their qualifying quest on Friday as they upset Costa Rica to secure a 1-0 victory when the two sides met at the Ergilio Hato Stadium.

Seeking to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat against Honduras, AEK Athens man Frantzdy Pierrot grabbed the headlines for Les Grenadiers once again as he netted on the stroke of half time to hand them all three points.

Having finished second in Group C of the second qualifying round, Les Grenadiers have picked up two wins and two draws from their five matches in the third round to sit second in Group I, level on points with first-placed Honduras, who boast a +2 goal difference.

With a World Cup ticket on the line, Haiti will be backing themselves to get the job done on Tuesday as they go up against an opposing side who have failed to win nine of their last 10 meetings, including four defeats in their most recent four encounters.

Nicaragua’s first taste of victory in the qualifiers came after five matches, as they claimed a shock 2-0 win over Honduras at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium on Friday.

Bancy Hernandez netted in the 12th minute to put the Blue and White in front before 30-year-old forward Jaime Moreno doubled the lead against the run of play to make sure of the result.

However, the result over Honduras mattered little for Nicaragua, who had managed just one point from their first four games in Group I, a run which saw their quest for a first-ever World Cup appearance come to an end.

Marco Antonio Figueroa’s men kicked off their qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica on September 6, before losing their subsequent three matches, while conceding nine goals and scoring once across the three games.

Nicaragua sit rock-bottom in Group I with four points from a possible 12, and while they will be looking to close out their qualifying campaign on a positive note, they have lost each of their last four away matches in all competitions since a 1-1 draw against Guatemala in May 2024.

Haiti World Cup Qualifying - North Central America form:

Haiti form (all competitions):

Nicaragua World Cup Qualifying - North Central America form:

Nicaragua form (all competitions):

Team News

Following his winner against Costa Rica, Pierrot now has 33 goals in 46 caps for Haiti, and the AEK Athens man, who is four goals shy of second place in the nation's all-time scoring chart, will be one to keep an eye on.

Josue Casimir was forced off injured on Friday and should he fail to shake off the injury, Louicius Don Deedson should come into the fold, teaming up with Ruben Providence and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ man Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Carlens Arcus, Ricardo Ade, Hannes Delcroix and Duke Lacroix should form the back four once again, with skipper Johny Placide starting between the sticks.

As for Nicaragua, Hernandez is a doubt for Tuesday’s tie after coming off injured midway through the game against Honduras last time out.

With his strike in the aforementioned game, Moreno now has four goal involvements in his last five games for club and country, and we expect the Real Esteli man to spearhead the visitors’ attack once again.

Haiti possible starting lineup:

Placide; Arcus, Ade, Delcroix, Lacroix; Jacques, Pierre; Deedson, Bellegarde, Providence; Pierrot

Nicaragua possible starting lineup:

Lopez; Quijano, Cano, Nino, Velasquez; Coronel, Arteaga; Barrera, Arauz, Hernandez; Moreno

We say: Haiti 3-1 Nicaragua

With their hopes of ending a 50-year absence from the World Cup hinging on Tuesday’s result, we expect Haiti to leave everything on the line at the Ergilio Hato Stadium as they look to secure maximum points. That said, we are backing Les Grenadiers to do their part and secure all three points here.

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