Honouring Haiti's Record Scorer Duckens Nazon
Recently, Haitian elected officials and cultural figures convened in Brooklyn to pay tribute to Duckens Nazon, Haiti's all-time leading goal scorer.
In recent times, Nazon's life has been marked by intense emotional experiences. From the exhilaration of helping Haiti qualify for their first FIFA World Cup since 1974 to the harrowing ordeal of fleeing conflict in Iran, where he plays for Esteghlal, his journey has been tumultuous.
The 32-year-old striker, who spent six months of his extensive 13-year career—during which he played for 13 clubs across eight countries—in Paisley with St Mirren in 2019, now aims to make a significant impact against the nation he briefly called home.
As Haiti's record scorer with 44 goals in 76 international appearances, starting in Haiti's first World Cup match in 52 years against Scotland will be a defining moment for Nazon. He credits a SIM card with saving his life during his recent evacuation from Iran.
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'I watched bombs drop from 100 metres away'
Nazon was scheduled to leave Iran on the day Israeli-US strikes commenced but was removed from the flight due to safety concerns.
His wife, who is from Morocco—a country Haiti will also face in their World Cup group alongside Scotland and Brazil—and their four children were safe in France, where Nazon was born.
He expressed gratitude that his family was not part of the dangerous evacuation, during which he witnessed bombs falling as close as 100 metres before escaping through Azerbaijan.
Speaking on the BBC's Sacked in the Morning podcast, he said:
"I was about to take a plane to go to Istanbul or Paris, then the steward told everybody to get off because the war had started.
Imagine you have your wife and your children by your side in that situation. If you're alone, I wouldn't say I don't care about my life, but you are more relaxed and taking decisions is easier and faster."
Regarding difficulties at the Iran-Azerbaijan border, he added:
"I was stuck at the border for maybe 48 hours. They refused me, sent me back to Iran and I slept at the border.
But I was so lucky because, before the war started I bought an eSIM. After that, they cut the internet in Iran.
So I had no contact and I was praying that when I reached the border I would get some signal - and it worked. This saved my life.
I could talk to the French embassy and they helped me to get my passport. They spoke to the Azerbaijani forces and then I got out."
St Mirren, Scottish Weather & Ticket Prices
With Iranian domestic football suspended due to the ongoing conflict, Nazon is following an individual training regimen to prepare for the World Cup.
The Haiti national team has become celebrated for leading the country back to football's most prestigious tournament, marking only their second World Cup appearance.
Nazon recognizes that the players have become part of the nation's history but emphasizes that they will compete without added pressure, beginning with their opening match against Scotland.
He stated:
"We are ambassadors of our country and we know we have a responsibility.
We know the young people also see us as examples.
But we don't have to put extra pressure on ourselves and, when we play for our country, it's more a mission and we do it with passion and with love."
During the second half of the 2018-19 season, Nazon was on loan at St Mirren from Belgian club Sint-Truiden, where he experienced Scottish football firsthand.
He described his time in Scotland as "a story" but noted it was brief. He played 12 games and scored twice but admitted he was "not ready for this kind of aggression and fight" typical of Scottish football. The weather also influenced his experience.
He recalled:
"I remember one game we had sun, snow and rain.
After this, I was like, OK, I'm done."
Weather is unlikely to pose an issue for Nazon during the summer's tournament in North America. The striker, who is friends with Scotland defender Dominic Hyam—his former teammate at Coventry—did express concern about the high ticket prices for World Cup matches.
He commented:
"There is only one thing that starts to go in my brain - it's the ticket prices.
Hopefully this is not going to affect the crowd and people coming to the stadium, because we want this atmosphere.
We want this energy around us. I'm looking forward to seeing Scottish people and Haitian people in the stadiums. This is going to be important."
