As Steve Clarke reflects on his team’s recent home defeat by Japan, his coaching staff are likely examining a similar outcome faced by one of their World Cup competitors.

Just hours after Junya Ito’s decisive goal at Hampden Park handed Japan a 1-0 victory, dampening the excitement of Scotland’s qualification, another Group C contender, Haiti, experienced a narrow 1-0 loss in a friendly against Tunisia.

Playing at BMO Field in Toronto, Haiti succumbed to an early strike from Sebastian Tounekti. The Celtic winger secured Tunisia’s triumph by expertly receiving a precision pass and delivering a right-footed shot past the opposing goalkeeper.

Though Haiti failed to find the net, especially after Danley Jean Jacques was sent off for a second yellow card, their spirited display highlighted the challenge they might pose in Scotland’s World Cup opener. For Clarke and his team, it serves as a warning that securing a victory in Boston on June 14 won’t be straightforward.

Notably, Tunisia is ranked 44th globally, just four spots behind Scotland. Despite the unpredictable nature of friendly matches, this encounter underscored that Haiti will not be easily overlooked in competitive play.

Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti celebrates his goal for Tunisia against Haiti in Toronto

Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor makes his Haiti debut after committing himself to them this month

Wilson Isidor made his debut for Haiti, coming on in the second half after committing to the team earlier this month. The Sunderland striker, with roots in France, Haiti, and Madagascar, adds a level of skill his new team has long been seeking.

While a free-scoring start has given way to a mediocre season for 25-year-old Isidor in the Premier League, he is a quick, powerful forward who will add to the smattering of Haiti players performing at a high level for their clubs.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Jean Ricner-Bellegarde and Auxerre’s Josue Casimir played a crucial role in Haiti’s qualifying campaign. Born in France and Guadeloupe respectively, they switched allegiances recently and have inspired hope that Haiti can hold their own this summer.

This is only the second time in Les Grenadiers’ history that they have reached the World Cup finals. Having made it there in 1974, they failed to maintain those standards, thanks mainly to strife in their homeland, which led players to defect.

The perilous political situation continues with gang violence, famine and the collapse of state institutions, forcing Haiti to contest their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign entirely on foreign ground. 

All their home games were in other countries. And French coach Sebastian Migne, who led them to glory without even a play-off, has yet to set foot in Haiti.

Only one of the squad Migne picked for this week’s warm-up is with a Haitian club. Midfielder Woodensky Pierre helped Violette to the title last month. The rest are based in Europe and North America, where many of them struggle for game time.

Haiti don’t face many top-tier sides, or indeed many from outwith the Concacaf region, which is why they are trying to make the most of this international window. 

As well as Tunisia, who were picked for their similarity to Morocco, they will play Iceland, who are seen as closer in style to Scotland. 

Steve Clarke has homework to do ahead of a World Cup opener that will be no formality 

That game, in Toronto on Tuesday, will be behind closed doors, which isn’t much help to SFA performance analyst Mark McKenna.

These weeks are what might be described as the phoney war. While Haiti are playing Iceland, Scotland will be taking on Ivory Coast, and Morocco will be up against Paraguay, having drawn 1-1 with Ecuador on Friday. 

Brazil, the Group C giants, face Croatia on Wednesday, having lost to France last week.

While the fans obsess over Scotland’s performances in a warm-up schedule that also includes a match against Curacao in May, gathering information about this summer’s opponents is just as important if Clarke is to maximise his team’s chances.

Brazil will be a free hit, Morocco potentially decisive, but realistically, Haiti is the game that must be won if Scotland are to fulfil their ambition of going beyond the group stage for the first time.

The rank outsiders might be an unknown quantity to the rest of the world, but Clarke will be poring over every detail of their warm-up games. At least, we hope he is.