When Graham Taylor was England manager, his role was described by a documentary crew as an “impossible job”. Sébastien Migne laughs wryly when asked if he has the position that truly deserves that title.
Migne is Haiti’s new manager, tasked with guiding them to their first men’s World Cup in half a century.
It’s a challenge made all the more difficult by the political and social chaos gripping the Caribbean island, meaning Migne is unlikely to set foot there in the near future.
Gangs now control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and prevent Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to the country after a trip abroad, leading to his resignation. BBC News reports that parts of the country have become effectively lawless.
Haiti has been plagued by gang violence for years, but violence from armed groups escalated in late February.
Although the gangs said their main goal was to oust Henry, the violence continues. They have attacked police, looted universities and libraries, burned pharmacies and forced the closure of Port-au-Prince’s largest hospital.
Why did Migne decide to manage their national football team?
“To be honest, I have a lot of enthusiasm,” the 51-year-old Frenchman told BBC Sport. “It’s not the best contract of my life, but at the moment it’s important.
“The project is interesting, Haiti has a good history in football. The idea is to write a new story with the players, and we have a fantastic opportunity because the US, Canada and Mexico have already qualified [as joint-hosts].
“They know exactly what we want to create, and that is qualifying for the World Cup.”
The three North American countries will co-host the 2026 World Cup, which will be the first with 48 teams. In addition to the host nations, three more teams from the Concacaf region will qualify, and another two will compete in the interconfederation play-offs for even more places.
This opens the door for Haiti to reach a men’s World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they reached the final in West Germany. They lost all three group matches and conceded fourteen goals to Argentina, Italy and Poland.
‘Some friends said to me: you are completely crazy’
Their long road to the finals begins in the first of two group stages of Concacaf qualifying, with an opening match against Saint Lucia on June 6.
It would be a home game for Haiti, but that is not the case at the moment. The Saint Lucia game will be played in Barbados, and Migne isn’t sure what will happen next – where they will play, or who will play for them.
“It is difficult because it is impossible for me to go to Haiti to discover new talent and to have full confidence in local coaches to give me complete information,” he says.
“For example, I tried to convince a player to come to the next matches. We needed administrative papers, but all embassies in the country are closed.”
Migne is used to an element of chaos, with coaching roles in Syria on his CV. He is a veteran of management in Africa, having previously worked with the national team in Congo, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea.
But he has tasted World Cup glory before, as assistant manager for Cameroon at Qatar 2022.
Although Cameroon failed to progress from the group stage, they stunned Brazil 1-0 in their final match – a result that has lit the fire in him to return to the biggest show in the world.
“Of course a few friends said to me, ‘You’re completely crazy,’” he says. “Maybe it’s true, but I believe in the project. I believe we can create a big surprise. We have quality.”
The Klopp fan in the Haiti hotseat
Since her appointment on March 10, Migne has been working hard to make the best of a tough job. Haiti drew 1-1 with French Guiana in his first match and he has since ordered his coaches and scouts to scour the world for talent.
One of the key roles for the manager of a small national team is to convince players who qualify through family and descent to represent those countries. Migne has approached Wolves striker Jeanricner Bellegarde – born in France but of Haitian descent – and Hull City winger Jaden Philogene about possible call-ups.
“We try to contact them step by step to present and convince them about the project,” says Migne. “It’s a long process.”
As a fan of English football, Migne has a special interest in convincing English players. He spoke to BBC Sport while wearing a Liverpool jersey and talked about his admiration for Jurgen Klopp.
“After taking Haiti to the World Cup, I want to be a manager in the Premier League or the Championship, I would love that,” he says.
But before then, Migne must try to somehow guide war-torn underdogs Haiti all the way to the World Cup.
So, is this the truly impossible task?
“It’s not [impossible]. It is interesting.”
