MANAGUA — Haiti's Les Grenadiers authored a consummate road performance on Thursday night, defeating Nicaragua 3–0 at the Estadio Nacional de Fútbol in 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (CONCACAF, Group C). The scoring trident of Duckens Nazon (12’), Danley Jean Jacques (35’), and Louicius “Don” Deedson (90’+2) reflected a balanced blueprint: experienced finishing, midfield timing, and late-game speed. The result is Haiti's first win of the final round and—paired with concurrent results—lifts the side to five points and first place on goal difference.

The opener arrived via Haiti's signature verticality. In the 12th minute, Nazon split the center backs, took a well-weighted release into the right channel, and slid a composed finish across the goalkeeper. The early lead re-wrote the game state: Nicaragua had to commit bodies forward, and Haiti leveraged the added space with measured pressure, direct runs, and selective ball circulation.

On 35 minutes, Danley Jean Jacques doubled the advantage. The sequence began with patient switching that stretched the defensive block; a cut-back from the flank found Jean Jacques arriving at the top of the box, and his first-time strike threaded traffic to make it 2–0. The midfielder's timing into zone 14 repeatedly punished Nicaragua's pivots, who oscillated between protecting the half-spaces and stepping to the ball carrier.

With the match winding into stoppage time, Haiti sealed the points. Louicius “Don” Deedson curved his run off a defender's blind shoulder and, after a precise back-post delivery, finished left-footed at 90’+2. That goal was the logical outcome of the night's load management: purposeful substitutions that preserved pressing intensity and left fresh legs to attack an open field in the final minutes.

Defending without drama was central to the clean sheet. Haiti mixed a compact 4-4-2 mid-block with targeted high presses triggered by negative passes. Wide midfielders narrowed to choke the half-spaces, funneling Nicaragua to the flanks, where aerial duels and second-ball traps favored the visitors. When the hosts chased route-one solutions, Haiti's back line won first contact and the single pivot hoovered knockdowns, turning danger into launchpads.

In possession, Haiti refused sterile control. Instead, the Grenadiers manipulated lines with quick wall passes and diagonal switches to free runners in the channels. The second goal crystallized the approach: draw the block, switch sharply, attack the weak-side half-space, and arrive with a late runner. Ball circulation had a purpose—to commit defenders and create finishing windows—rather than to inflate possession shares.

Game management after 1–0 and 2–0 was notably mature. Haiti bled tempo with throw-ins and restarts, avoided cheap fouls near the box, and maintained rest-defense structures to prevent counters. The goalkeeper claimed crosses cleanly; center backs cleared lines decisively. Every phase suggested a team that understands CONCACAF away-days: absorb pressure, pick moments to accelerate, and protect legs for the window's second match.

Individual standouts: Nazon's gravity and hold-up craft made him the reference point even beyond his goal. Jean Jacques dictated tempo and arrived in advanced zones with intelligence. Deedson, off the bench, converted energy into end product at the exact moment when defenders' legs and decisions fade. The fullbacks balanced ambition and caution, while the holding midfielder's positioning strangled central buildup.

Set pieces mattered as control levers. Defensively, Haiti used a hybrid scheme—zonal lines across the six with man-marking on aerial threats and a free protector near-post—eliminating easy headers. In attack, deliveries to the penalty spot forced Nicaragua to defend facing its own goal, limiting transition threats and generating second phases Haiti almost always recovered.

Context and table math: Verified external reports list the scorers and minutes (Nazon 12’, Jean Jacques 35’, Deedson 90’+2) and confirm the venue in Managua. Standings at full-time put Haiti on five points (W1 D2 L0, +3 GD), level with Honduras and ahead of Costa Rica, while Nicaragua trails. With only group winners qualifying directly and two best runners-up heading to a playoff, a three-goal away win is a tiebreaker boon.

What changes—practically: the victory hardens belief. It validates the mid-block-to-transition plan against a compact opponent, proves Haiti can travel and control game states, and shows bench contributors can close a match emphatically. With Honduras up next on October 13, continuity is the watchword: vertical runs off Nazon, Jean Jacques's timing from midfield, and Deedson's late thrusts.

Bottom line: This was a textbook CONCACAF away win—strike first, stabilize, and clinch late. It strengthens Haiti's position and supplies something more valuable than three points: a repeatable identity that travels.