Kingston offered Costa Rica a chance to steady itself after an alarming opening night in the Concacaf Nations League. Instead, the trip to Jamaica ended with a 2-0 defeat to Haiti, leaving Los Ticos bottom of their early campaign and facing a far more difficult road towards the 2027 Gold Cup.
Key takeaways
- Haiti beat Costa Rica 2-0, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Fafà Picault scoring in the first half.
- Costa Rica have no points after two Nations League fixtures and have allowed six goals.
- The defeat follows the 4-3 loss to Curaçao, when Costa Rica surrendered a three-goal advantage.
- Fernando Batista remains without a win as Costa Rica coach despite recent backing from the federation.
- Matches away to Nicaragua and at home to Haiti are next for Costa Rica.
Haiti take control in Kingston
Costa Rica arrived hoping that the collapse against Curaçao would prove to be an isolated setback. The response, however, exposed familiar problems: uncertainty at the back and little attacking conviction once the side fell behind.
Haiti struck after eight minutes. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde found room to drive a low, precise effort beyond goalkeeper Abraham Madriz, immediately placing Costa Rica under pressure.
The second goal came seven minutes before the interval. Fafà Picault’s attempt took a deflection off Francisco Calvo before ending in the Costa Rican net, doubling Haiti’s advantage and giving them a firm grip on the contest.
Costa Rica saw more of the ball after half-time but could not turn possession into clear openings. Haiti managed the match calmly, protected their lead and prevented a meaningful revival from the visitors.
Batista faces a decisive next stretch
The result sharpens scrutiny on Batista’s tenure. The Argentine had been retained by the Costa Rican Football Federation’s executive committee after the Curaçao loss, with Rónald González arguing that removing him so quickly would have been premature.
That institutional support has yet to produce a change in fortunes on the pitch. Batista has still not recorded a victory since taking charge, while the two defeats have left the team without points and with six goals conceded.
Costa Rica must now travel to Nicaragua before welcoming Haiti to La Cueva. Those two fixtures carry considerable weight for a team that needs points, momentum and a restored sense of confidence if it is to secure direct qualification for the 2027 Gold Cup.
