Haiti ended their Concacaf Women’s U-17 qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Bermuda in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
With both sides already out of contention for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, the match was a battle for pride. Haiti seized control immediately as Adjani Kamanzi-Mondestin found the net in the second minute to provide an early spark.
Despite the early setback, Bermuda remained in the contest for the vast majority of the afternoon. This was primarily due to the exceptional form of goalkeeper Kyra Simmons, who produced a series of high-class saves to frustrate the Haitian attackers.
Haiti dominated the statistics with 59% possession and 23 shots, but they were forced to wait until the 86th minute to put the result beyond doubt. Nya Jean-Baptiste finally broke through the Bermudian resistance, scoring from close range to double the lead.
While Haiti will be pleased with a dominant performance to close their tournament, Bermuda can take immense credit for a disciplined defensive display spearheaded by the inspired Simmons.
