SCOTLAND will play Haiti for the first time in history in their opening World Cup match in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The high-pressure contest in Boston will be seen by both sides as a must-win fixture if they wish to progress beyond the group stages, with Morocco and Brazil lying in wait afterwards.
Here's everything you need to know about the Caribbean nation ahead of the match.
Haiti's qualification
Like Scotland, Haiti have not been in the World Cup for quite some time, with fans enduring an even longer wait than the Scots to see their team reach this tournament again.
Not since 1974 have Haiti reached the finals and their qualification has been regarded as remarkable considering it has come amid a humanitarian crisis and the country continuing to grapple with major political instability.
Haiti cannot play any matches in their home country and have instead been playing in Curacao.
Head coach Sebastian Migne has never set foot inside Haiti, but has had a close eye on European leagues for players with Haitian heritage.
Their qualification was even more poignant for the nation as it came exactly 222 years to the day after revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines fought a battle against the French on the way to independence.
Last time out
They will be hoping for more success and less controversy than in 1974 when defender Ernst Jean-Joseph failed a drugs test after their opening game and, according to widespread accounts, was forcibly returned to Haiti by the regime.
In that appearance, they were also beaten by Italy, Poland and Argentina as they were knocked out in the first round. They conceded 14 goals across the three games.
However, against Italy, the team who were made up entirely of players born in Haiti did cause a shock when early in the second half Emmanuel Sanon managed to score what remains the nation's most celebrated goal. Sanon went on to manage the team in the 1980s.
A diverse side
A total of 26 players have been selected in Haiti's squad but less than half of them were actually born in the country. Just one, Woodensky Pierre, plays for a Haitian club.
As for the others, 12 were born in France of Haitian parents, one in Canada, one in Switzerland and two in the US.
It will be interesting to see how this diverse set of backgrounds impacts on the team's connection and togetherness.
France-born Wilson Isidor plays for Sunderland in the Premier League and scored on his first international start in March.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde of Wolves has been a standout player for Haiti and is regarded as a fan favourite.
A troubled country
Since Haiti's devastating earthquake in 2010, the country has never really recovered.
Armed gangs have taken control of almost all of the nation's capital Port-au-Prince in a conflict that has forced some 1.3 million people from their homes and fuelled famine-level hunger.
People are warned against travelling to the country because of the risks of crimes and unrest.
Just this week, Haiti were forced into a last-minute redesign of their kit by Fifa due to their jerseys making a “political statement” about independence.
A counterattacking side with passionate fans
The Haiti team are first and foremost known for their huge resilience given the background to their qualification, so Scotland should be aware they will be a dogged outfit.
They are known for being disciplined in defence and can have a dangerous counterattack.
Scotland will be well aware that while they will see this as a must-win game, so will Haiti. It is arguably the biggest game of the group when it comes to qualification given it is generally expected Morocco and Brazil will finish first and second.
Haiti will also have fans behind them who are known for their passion.
Professor Laurent Dubois, an expert in the history and principles of democracy at University of Virginia, recalled witnessing fan celebrations outside a stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, in 2019 when Haiti beat Costa Rica in a Gold Cup group match.
"The parking lot filled up for many hours afterward, with Rara music and dancing," he wrote in The Conversation.
A visa ban against Haiti will mean many fans will not be able to be in the US, but the US is also home to the largest Haitian diaspora in the world,
But Dubois said: "On June 13 Haiti itself will be at a standstill during the games, and across the diaspora – in Boston, New York, Houston, Montreal and Paris, but also in the Bahamas, Brazil, Chile and other parts of Latin America – crowds will gather to be together in pride."
Recent results
Haiti will be buoyed by a recent 4-0 hammering of New Zealand, who are also playing in the tournament.
They have also held Iceland to a 1-1 draw this year and beat Costa Rica in November last year in notable results.
Most recently they lost 2-1 in a friendly to Peru, but having lost only two of their last six fixtures, they will fancy their chances against a Scottish side they will regard as being under huge pressure to deliver.
