FIFA bans Haiti’s kit after branding it political. How did the team react?

Haiti unveiled a new playing kit featuring several of the nation’s independence fighters, but FIFA decided to prohibit its use.

Details: According to The Athletic, tournament organisers ruled that the shirts could not be worn, classifying them as “political.” The design depicted several independence fighters raising the national flag.

The artwork was inspired by the Haitian Revolution, the historic struggle that freed the island’s people from slavery under French rule.

A spokesperson for the Haitian team stated that FIFA’s decision to label the jersey as political was a misinterpretation of its meaning. Nevertheless, the federation asked kit manufacturer Saeta to make the necessary changes to the design.

Reminder: FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently addressed the high-profile controversy involving Somali referee Omar Artan, who was barred from entering the United States by American authorities over alleged links to terrorist organisations.