Dominican Republic bars Haiti team after fans try to force entry

The Dominican Republic has banned Haiti’s national football team from playing in its sports venues after Haitian fans tried to force their way into a sold-out Concacaf Nations League match in Santo Domingo. The ban was announced on Friday, a day after Haiti beat the hosts 4-1 at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium.

Thursday’s match, known as the “Hispaniola Derby”, was the first between the neighbours on Dominican soil since 2013. It took place amid tensions between the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola.

Ban follows sold-out match

Dominican sports minister Kelvin Cruz announced the prohibition following the attempted forceful entry by fans. “The sports ministry totally forbids the Haitian national football team from playing in Dominican sports venues,” he said, calling the incident at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium “unacceptable”.

The decision concerns where Haiti’s national team can play in the Dominican Republic. The sold-out game ended in a 4-1 win for Haiti in Concacaf Nations League play.

Striker’s comments draw criticism

Haitian star striker Wilson Isidor also drew criticism from some Dominicans after scoring twice in the match. He shouted, “Hispaniola is Haiti! This is Haiti!” following his two goals.

Jose Deschamps, the head of the Dominican Republic’s football federation, told AFP that Isidor’s comments were “not appropriate, given the situation between the two countries”.

Ban adds to wider tensions

The dispute comes amid strains between Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince. Haiti has faced deadly gang violence in recent years, with parts of the country controlled by heavily armed criminal syndicates that local authorities have so far been unable to subdue.

Dominican President Luis Abinader has made a crackdown on Haitian immigration a key issue, notably building a wall along the countries’ shared border. More than 265,000 Haitians were expelled from the Dominican Republic in the first eight months of this year, according to official figures.

For Haiti’s national team, the immediate consequence is a ban from Dominican sports venues following its first match there against the Dominican Republic since 2013.