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Despite the 3-0 loss to Brazil, Philippe Vorbe, a former player of the 1974 Haitian national team, believes that this performance by the Grenadiers is the best Haiti has ever had in the World Cup.
Despite the 0-3 loss to Brazil, Philippe Vorbe, a former player of the 1974 Haitian national team, believes that this performance by the Grenadiers is the best Haiti has ever had in a World Cup.
Haiti faced the Seleção for their fifth World Cup match. A fifth defeat (0-3) that leaves many fans with a bitter taste, convinced that the Grenadiers could have done better, especially given their performance in the second half.Philippe Vorbe, a former star of Haitian football and member of the 1974 national team, still believes this is Haiti’s best performance in a World Cup finals. “It’s the best performance Haiti has ever had in the World Cup. The second half will be remembered. It’s something incredible,” said the former metronome of the national team, speaking on Magik 9’s weekend morning show on Saturday, June 20, 2026.Brazil, by the way, was shaken up after the break. More proactive, the Haitians managed to sometimes disrupt the Brazilian defense thanks to remarkable collective strength, creating several dangerous situations. The Grenadiers even came very close to reducing the score, if it hadn’t been for a defender’s decisive intervention on the line.
“We shook the coconut tree. Even if no coconut fell, we definitely shook it,” illustrated Philippe Vorbe. The former international nevertheless acknowledges that the Seleção was able to ease off after taking a comfortable lead in the first half. “That doesn’t take away anything from the Haitian team’s merit, who were determined to show a different side in the second half,” he stressed.The former Grenadier does acknowledge, however, that this performance is a big contrast to the first half, during which ‘the Haitian players had completely lost their sense of organization.’
In that first half, Haiti was playing in a 5-4-1 formation. According to Philippe Vorbe, this ultra-defensive setup didn’t stop the Brazilians from finding their way to the Haitian goal. ‘The Brazilians used a smart strategy to bypass the system. The forwards didn’t just stay up front: they dropped back into the center, drawing the central defenders towards midfield. Meanwhile, on the flanks, Vinicius and Raphinha were making deep runs. This caught the Haitian defense off guard, often leaving them scrambling. After the first and second goals, they were disorganized, with huge gaps,’ analyzed Mr. Vorbe.While he says he understands the coach’s choice to go with a 5-4-1, which he calls a ‘logical caution,’ Philippe Vorbe still has some reservations. ‘That’s a lot of defenders. Usually, in this kind of situation, you go more for a 4-2-3-1. You don’t have to switch to a 5-4-1, which is a very defensive setup. By adding a defender, you weaken ball circulation. That extra player is often a central defender, at the expense of an attacking player, which isn’t ideal for building play,’ he explained.
What about Sébastien Migné’s future? Outside of the match against Brazil, Haitian coach Sébastien Migné faced a wave of criticism. He is being singled out as one of the main people responsible for the defeat, particularly because of his tactical choice to use a 5-4-1 system, a setup the Grenadiers had never used in an official or friendly match under his tenure. Many fans are now calling for him to leave the role of national team coach. Commenting on these reactions, Philippe Vorbe wanted to put things into perspective, noting that the coach’s contract runs until the end of the World Cup. “Before asking for the coach’s head, there are a number of questions that are worth asking. Did Mr. Migné do a good job? Yes, since he got us qualified. Could another coach have done better under these conditions?It is no less certain. The match against Brazil remains Haiti’s best performance in the World Cup. It is also the result of the work of the technical staff,” he said.
The former international also highlights the progress made by the national team. “I don’t know Mr. Migné personally, but I see an evolution between the playoff team, with all its concerns, and the one we see today. This means that there has been progress,” he continued.
Philippe Vorbe also highlights some structural advances, such as the integration of bi-national players. “The team we have today, as well as the search for dual nationals, is also the result of the work of the coach. Want a South American coach? Do we have the means? And above all, who would be able to adapt to the Haitian conditions? They are not easy,” he concluded.A revamped lineup against Morocco?
Many fans want to see certain players, like Duckens Nazon, who haven’t played any minutes in the first two matches, get some playing time against Morocco.
“That will be up to the coaching staff,” responded Philippe Vorbe, while recalling the emotional side of Haitian football. “But that doesn’t exist in professional football. In 1974, the coach made changes in the match against Argentina, playing players who hadn’t participated yet. It was a different context. We were an amateur team, with a lot of sacrifices and focus. The players trained and earned only about 200 dollars a month. There was that sentimental and emotional side because the staff was Haitian, they lived with us, and they also wanted to give everyone the satisfaction of playing in a World Cup match.”Today, according to him, the reality is different. “We are in a different scenario. If Haiti suffers a heavy defeat against Morocco, it will be the coach who is held responsible. The players are professionals; they are paid to be there,” analyzed the former international.
