U15 World Cup: beaten by Croatia and Qatar, Haiti stays in the running in Baku

Beaten 4-3 by Croatia and then 1-0 by Qatar on Wednesday 28 October, Haiti's U15 national team is still in the FIFA U-15 World Cup Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. The competition's format has no elimination, the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) pointed out.

According to the FHF, the Haitian side had already secured its place in "League B" with the 12 points it collected in five group matches, against 10 for Croatia. Despite the defeat to the Croatians, the tournament's particular format allowed it to play in that division's round of 16, against Qatar, in its second match of the day. The Qataris won 1-0.

A strong group stage

Drawn in Group AF, Haiti lost its first match to Australia (3-1) on Saturday 24 October, then strung together four wins, Haiti Tempo reports: 6-0 against Timor-Leste, 4-2 against Israel, 2-1 against Andorra, then 4-0 against the hosts Azerbaijan on Monday 26 October. John Laroque scored a hat-trick in that last match, and Aridou Benoît and Hanelson Antoine also scored several times during the tournament. Australia, unbeaten on 15 points, topped the group, with Haiti second.

The team is coached by Cuban Raúl Valentín González Triana, according to Haiti Tempo.

A format without elimination

This first edition, for boys born in 2011 and 2012, is played eight-a-side, in two 20-minute halves, at the Hovsan sports complex in Baku. According to FIFA, group-stage results place teams in six tiers, and every team plays until the final matchday. According to Afrik-Foot, group winners go into League A, the only one that awards the world title, and runners-up into League B, whose trophy corresponds to 33rd place overall.

Ranking matches continue until Friday 30 October, when each tier's final is played at Baku's Crystal Hall. The FHF has not yet announced the Grenadiers' next opponent.