Dominican Republic bans Haiti from its stadiums after football fans clash

What the report says

The Dominican Republic has barred Haiti’s national football team from using its stadiums after crowd trouble ahead of a CONCACAF Nations League match in Santo Domingo, Al Jazeera reported, citing Reuters. The incident took place on Thursday night at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium, where social media video showed groups of fans pushing through entrances and damaging a gate.

Dominican Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced the ban, calling the damage unacceptable and saying the government would not tolerate disorder at major sports facilities. President Luis Abinader later endorsed the move. Haiti’s embassy in Santo Domingo responded that the comments reflected the heat of competition and did not represent the Haitian government, while also thanking Dominican authorities for hosting the match.

On the field, Haiti defeated the Dominican Republic 4-1, with Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor scoring twice. The result left Haiti on nine points in Group A and the Dominican Republic on six. The match and the reaction to it also came against a broader backdrop of strained relations between the two countries, including recurring disputes over migration, border policy and security on the island of Hispaniola. According to the report, the Dominican Football Federation said it would complain to FIFA and CONCACAF over a separate remark made by Isidor after the match.