Ahead of their first FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Scotland, Haiti coach Migne attended a press conference and answered questions. Below is a transcript of his remarks.
Reporter: Good evening, coach. In 1974, Haiti made history by scoring the team's first-ever FIFA World Cup goal. How does that moment inspire you? Given the quality of your strikers, do you hope the team can score again at the FIFA World Cup this time?
It's always very important to know your team's history. 1974 was a great moment for Haiti; it was the first time we scored in the FIFA World Cup finals. But that was 52 years ago, a long time ago, and unfortunately, I didn't experience that history firsthand. Today is another story, but also a continuation of that history.
After 52 years, we have qualified for the FIFA World Cup again. Now, what we need to do is score again and strive to advance to the next round, so starting tomorrow, this is our goal. Of course, this team today has different characteristics from the 1974 team, and we are in a completely different era. Starting tomorrow, we must prove that we deserve to be on this stage.
Reporter (Reuters): Many people have praised the attacking capabilities of the Haiti team. Earlier today, the Scotland coach also mentioned this, describing your attack as very threatening. You have been talking about scoring goals, but there are also several very strong teams in your group. How do you plan to prevent them from scoring against you?
First, I believe football is a game. At the end of the game, there will always be winners and losers. If you want to win, you have to score goals, no matter what kind of opponent you face. The stronger the opponent, the greater the demands on us, and we must rise to the required level. But the question remains the same: if we want to achieve historic success - first a historic win in the FIFA World Cup finals, then striving to advance - we must score goals, no matter who we face.
Reporter (Caribbean Television Network): In the recent friendly match, we came close to winning, but the final result was not what we had hoped for. What lessons did you take from that match? Will you make any significant adjustments to the starting lineup you had previously considered?
No, there is no need to panic. Those two matches were preparatory games, and we needed to allocate playing time based on the players' current physical condition. After the season, each player's condition is different, and that was the most important consideration at the time. Therefore, in two matches separated by only three days, we made a lot of rotations and adjustments; it was not a time to take risks.
We also saw many national teams suffer injuries during their preparation period, and we did as well, for example, the situation with Leverton Pierre. Therefore, we must avoid making irrational decisions. Of course, there is no need to be pessimistic either. Some optimistic people told me that we actually won most of the 90 minutes, only losing in the last 10 minutes.
Now, we must learn from this. At the FIFA World Cup level, any oversight will be punished, and we certainly had such problems in the final stages of the game, regardless of which players were on the field at the time. We have reviewed and summarized this internally, and now we need to resolve the issues so that we can perform as we should starting tomorrow.
Reporter: Hello, Coach. Massachusetts is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the United States. What does it mean to you to play in front of so many Haitian fans tomorrow, and how do you hope to make them proud?
First of all, I am actually a little worried, because on the plane my wife and son just took, almost everyone was a Scottish fan wearing a kilt. That is the reality. So I expect tomorrow's stadium to have a mix of fans, and that is what the FIFA World Cup atmosphere should be like.
As for the Haitian fans, we already felt their enthusiasm a few days ago when we were in Florida. Both matches were sold out, and we clearly felt a connection being built between the team and the fans. I hope Boston will be the same; that is my biggest expectation for tomorrow.
I want to remind everyone that for the past two and a half years, we have never truly played a home game; all FIFA World Cup qualifiers were away matches, even those theoretically considered our home games. I mention this to emphasize the remarkable achievement these players have accomplished. It is not normal.
I believe that, for a men's national team, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals under such conditions may be a first. Therefore, being able to feel the enthusiasm of the fans again will be a wonderful experience. Scottish fans are also known for their sportsmanship and passion, so I believe there will be an excellent atmosphere in the stadium tomorrow. I hope both teams can rise to the occasion and deliver an exciting match for everyone.
Reporter: Speaking of goals, one of your strikers, Frantzdy Pierrot, is from the Boston area. Can you talk about your strikers, especially Pierrot?
He is not a newcomer, but the FIFA World Cup will be a new experience for him. He is one of the important core players in our team. If I’m not mistaken, he is the third all-time top scorer for the Haitian national team, with about 34 international goals, which is a remarkable achievement.
And now, he is at the peak of his career. Being able to participate in the FIFA World Cup, with the first match taking place near his hometown, makes it almost impossible to imagine a more perfect script for him. This will certainly motivate him even further and, of course, bring additional pressure, but I believe he can handle these challenges and also drive the entire team forward.
As for offense, I have always believed that it is a team effort; goals do not belong only to strikers. Even the goalkeeper's organization and distribution are part of the attack. Similarly, in modern football, defense is not solely the responsibility of defenders. In my philosophy, the first players to defend should be the strikers and attacking players. If the entire team, from the goalkeeper to the strikers, can stay connected, whether in the attacking phase or the defensive phase, then no matter what opponent we face, we can create problems. I hope we can do that tomorrow.
Reporter: You must have studied the Scotland team. What are the main characteristics you have observed about this team?
I know my answer will be very official and will not reveal too much; I do not want to give gifts to the opponent. But I can say a few words. Obviously, they have some very good players, such as McTominay, who was named the best player in Serie A a year ago, and we must be prepared to deal with him. By contrast, our players may not be as well known.
But I often say that, just as when some coaches arrive to work in a country, people may say: "He's not famous." "His resume isn't rich enough." But these are not the most important things; what matters most is what you leave behind when you depart. I think the same applies to the team. In this FIFA World Cup, our squad may not be as famous as Scotland's, nor as valuable, but our goal is to leave our mark by the end of the tournament, to see these players grow, to make people remember them, and for them to leave a clear memory in this FIFA World Cup.
Reporter: Tomorrow, you have a chance to earn Haiti's first-ever FIFA World Cup point. What would that mean for you and the entire country?
I appreciate your optimism. If we can truly achieve that, it will be a wonderful reward for my players. In any case, it will keep our hopes alive ahead of the final match, because under the new format of this FIFA World Cup, the eight best third-placed teams also have a chance to advance.
No matter what game we face, we will go in with the same objective: to score one more goal than the opponent. If we can do that tomorrow, it will be fantastic. And if we can also play beautiful football, that would be even better, as it can attract fans to our side and bring more attention and support to this team. I think my players deserve that attention. In every major tournament, there are always a few surprise teams, and I hope we can be one of them. Thank you.