Former Blasters star set to miss Haiti's World Cup clash against Brazil
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 gave Kerala Blasters fans a reason to cheer as one of their former players earned a place on the biggest stage in football. That player was Duckens Nazon.
The Haiti striker, his country's all-time leading scorer, arrived at the World Cup after playing a pivotal role in the nation's historic qualification campaign. However, a hamstring injury has cast a shadow over his tournament, ruling him out of Haiti's opening Group F clash against Scotland and putting his participation in the upcoming match against Brazil in doubt.
The setback is particularly unfortunate for Nazon, who spearheaded Haiti's World Cup qualifying campaign with six goals. He has scored 44 goals for the national team, making him one of the most influential players in the country's football history.
For Kerala Blasters supporters, Nazon remains a familiar name. The Haitian forward represented the club during the 2016 Indian Super League season and quickly became a fan favourite. While he scored only two goals for the Blasters, his impact went far beyond statistics.
Alongside fellow Haitian forward Kervens Belfort, Nazon delivered several crucial performances that helped Kerala Blasters navigate difficult moments during the campaign and eventually reach the ISL final.
But luck has not been on his side at the World Cup.
Forced to watch from the sidelines, Nazon saw Haiti suffer a narrow 1-0 defeat to Scotland in their opening match. The result has left the Caribbean nation with a mountain to climb, with a daunting clash against Brazil next on the schedule.
Haiti now need a major upset to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive. Meanwhile, Nazon will be hoping to recover in time for the team's final group-stage match against Morocco and finally make his long-awaited FIFA World Cup debut.