Can Haiti punish Costa Rica's defensive instability? Haiti vs Costa Rica prediction – 27.09.2026
Haiti and Costa Rica will meet on Sunday, September 27, in the second round of League A Group A in the 2026/27 CONCACAF Nations League. The match will be played at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 local time. Haiti enter the game with three points after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Trinidad and Tobago, while Costa Rica are still on zero after losing 3-4 to Curaçao despite leading 3-0 at half-time.
Haiti: a perfect start to the Badia era
The Nations League has marked the beginning of a new chapter for Haiti. Spaniard David Badia, who replaced Sébastien Migné in August, is now officially in charge of the national team and has spoken about building a side capable of keeping the ball more effectively and playing brave, attacking football. His first competitive match produced exactly the kind of emotional result that can give a new project momentum.
Against Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti opened the scoring through Fabrice Picault but later found themselves 2-1 down. Badia's team continued attacking until the final whistle, and their pressure was rewarded in spectacular fashion. Garven Metusala equalised in the 91st minute before Wilson Isidor scored the winner in the 98th.
There were defensive problems, particularly when Haiti had to control transitions, but the attacking potential is obvious. Picault remains dangerous between the lines, Isidor gives the team a strong focal point, while Danley Jean Jacques and Carl-Fred Sainté offer energy in midfield.
Another small advantage is familiarity with the surroundings. Haiti also played their opening Nations League fixture at Sabina Park, so Badia's players stay in Kingston while Costa Rica have to travel following their home game against Curaçao.
Costa Rica: how do you recover from 3-0 to 3-4?
Costa Rica's opening match could hardly have been more frustrating. Fernando Batista's side seemed to be heading for a comfortable victory after Orlando Sinclair scored in the fourth minute and Carlos Mora added a brace to make it 3-0 before half-time.
Then everything changed. Curaçao scored four unanswered goals between the 62nd and 82nd minutes, turning a seemingly finished match into a 4-3 defeat for Costa Rica. The collapse once again raised questions about the team's defensive stability and ability to manage difficult periods of matches.
Batista is working with a relatively young squad: 13 of the original 30 players called up for this Nations League window are aged 23 or younger, with an average squad age of 24.4. The federation has made reaching the quarter-finals the clear objective for this group stage.
There are also important personnel issues in attack. Manfred Ugalde is suspended for all four group-stage matches after receiving a four-game ban, meaning he will miss the trip to Haiti. Anthony Hernández is also unavailable after an adductor injury ruled him out of the entire Nations League group stage.
Even without those two players, Costa Rica showed against Curaçao that they can create chances. Sinclair gives Batista a reference point up front, while Mora arrives in Kingston after scoring twice in the opener. The greater concern is at the other end of the pitch.
Key facts and head-to-head trends
- Haiti have three points after beating Trinidad and Tobago 3-2, while Costa Rica have zero following their 3-4 defeat to Curaçao.
- Costa Rica's last five matches have all produced over 2.5 goals, while five of Haiti's last six have also crossed that mark.
- Haiti are unbeaten in the last five meetings with Costa Rica: two wins and three draws.
- Four of those five head-to-head meetings saw both teams score.
- Their two meetings in 2025 ended 3-3 in Costa Rica and 1-0 to Haiti in the return fixture.
Expect chances at both ends: Haiti vs Costa Rica prediction
The first round showed exactly why choosing a winner here is risky. Haiti have confidence, a new coach and a positive recent record against Costa Rica, but they still allowed Trinidad and Tobago to score twice and take the lead. Costa Rica, meanwhile, showed plenty of attacking quality by scoring three goals before half-time against Curaçao, only for their defence to completely lose control after the break.
Costa Rica cannot afford another passive performance with only four group matches available, so Batista's side should take more attacking risks in Kingston. Haiti have enough speed and individual quality to punish the spaces that approach could leave behind.
With both opening fixtures turning into high-scoring contests and four of the last five direct meetings producing goals for both sides, the goals market looks more attractive than trying to separate these teams.
Prediction: Both teams to score – Yes.
