Haitian community in Philadelphia celebrates World Cup return after 50 years
PHILADELPHIA - The Haitian community in Philadelphia is coming together to celebrate Haiti’s historic return to the World Cup after more than five decades.
Celebrations and community pride across Philadelphia
What we know:
Haiti last appeared in the World Cup in 1974, making this year’s participation a major milestone for the country and its supporters.
"It’s actually historic," said Beverlye Gedeon, who was born in Haiti. "Where I grew up in Haiti, football, slash soccer is a really big thing, really big for us as a community," said Gedeon.
Haitian professionals gathered at Graffiti Bar in Midtown Philadelphia for a networking event marking the occasion. "We couldn’t think of a more perfect moment to do it other than the World Cup and the day before Haiti meets Brazil to hilight all of it," said Gedeon.
Earlier, in Northeast Philadelphia, Haitian catering chef Scutt Blanc brought local flavor to the celebration. "WOO WOO. I got everything Haitian, look at that," said Blanc. "We’ve come a long way," said Blanc. "Now is the time for us to literally come together and celebrate the nation," said Blanc.
Many in the Haitian community have long supported Brazilian soccer, but this time, the focus is on their home team. "It’s well known we supported Brazil but this is our time right now, all of us from carribean from Haiti especailly, we are considered like the underdogs, something like the Eagles," said Miranda Alexander, a member of the Caribbean community in Philadelphia.
The Haitian team prepares for a big match
The Haitian national team is preparing to face Brazil, and the excitement is building among both players and fans. At Stewart Field at the University of Pennsylvania, the Haitian team is fine-tuning its technique. "Tomorrow, of course gonna be a tough game for us, but we are not going to give up everything. We are going to play with our qualities, our hearts and we hope for a result," said Rubin Providence, who wears number 15 for Haiti.
For Providence, this World Cup appearance is a personal milestone. "It’s been crazy to be honest, playing in the first World Cup is really big. It’s really something important in my career, maybe my most important moment," said Providence.
The 24-year-old player says the team is feeling confident. "We just have to go with we have nothing to lose and we can creat a surprise," said Providence.
The energy in the community is high, with fans predicting a win. "HEY, LETS GO 2-1 Haiti…Haiti 2-1...let's go baby," said a supporter.
The Haitian community in Philadelphia is drawing inspiration from the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in 2025, hoping their team can also defy the odds.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear how many people attended the celebrations or what the final result of the Haiti vs. Brazil match will be.
The Source: : Information from interviews conducted by FOX 29’s Dawn Timmeney.