Once Tipped for Slovan, Relegated in Slovakia, Now Haiti's Voodoo Nation Faces Brazil!

Two footballers who played in Slovakia's Niké Liga last season could feature at the 2026 World Cup.

It's long been known that Slovan Bratislava's stalwart, César Rodolfo Blackman, is a regular for the Panamanian national team. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is expected to play in the current tournament. Panama is in the attractive Group J, where they will face Ghana, Croatia, and England.

A much bigger surprise is Dominique Célidor Simon from relegated Tatran Prešov. The 25-year-old, born in Pontoise, France, developed his football skills at the Paris Saint-Germain academy. He will represent Haiti at the championship, a country to which his roots trace back.

He had never previously represented the Caribbean nation, famous for voodoo and black magic, and considered the poorest in Latin America. His first two appearances came only in the warm-up matches for the 2026 World Cup.

He played 65 minutes in a 4-0 victory over New Zealand and came on for the final half-hour in the dress rehearsal against Peru. Haiti was on the verge of winning that match too, but conceded two goals in the last ten minutes, ultimately losing 2-1.

At club level, this promising footballer already boasts a rather diverse career. Besides France, Dominique Simon has played in Spain, Estonia – where he won the national cup – and for the well-known Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi.

Since summer 2024, he has been a permanent player for Pardubice, having joined Prešov on loan. His loan spell expires at the end of this month, and with Tatran relegated, it's practically certain he won't be returning to eastern Slovakia.

He arrived in the Šariš metropolis mid-season, after the fourth round. He made a very good impression in his first training sessions and quickly caught attention. There was even talk that if he played like that in matches, it would only be a matter of time before the strongest club in Slovakia – Slovan Bratislava – showed interest...

The loan deal for the skillful midfielder, capable of playing as a number six or further up the pitch, was finalized on Thursday, August 21st. Two days later, he made his competitive debut for Tatran Prešov, even starting in the match against Skalica. His debut wasn't the most fortunate, as he scored an own goal. However, Tatran managed to overcome a two-goal deficit and secured a point from Záhorie with a 2-2 draw.

A week later, in a match against Trenčín, he scored at the right end, and it seemed Prešov had found a key player. However, immediately after that game, he dropped out of the squad. The reason? A stress fracture. He was forced to miss six league matches, and although he later returned to play, he was never fully fit.

Overall, he made 20 league appearances for Prešov, with a record of 1 goal and 1 assist, and limited playing time. He showed undeniable talent and creativity, with promising flashes, but much more was expected of him in Šariš, especially when the team was struggling.

"He had already missed part of the season due to injury at Pardubice, and when he came to us, he got injured again. It was probably a long-term or chronic problem," reflected Tatran Prešov coach Erik Havrila for the daily Šport, who was particularly surprised by one thing.

"I've never seen anyone pass the ball in training – I'm not talking about shooting or sprinting, but a simple ground pass to a teammate – and then immediately fall to the ground with a torn quadriceps… That was a clear warning sign that something wasn't right," admitted Havrila, who said they had hoped Simon would become a game-changer. Towards the end of the season, he worked his way back into the starting lineup and showed his potential.

"He's an interesting type of footballer in attack. He had some good moments. On the other hand, these players often lack greater tactical organization defensively," added the promising Prešov coach.

Tatran captain Patrik Šimko also spoke about Dominique Simon to the same media outlet, shedding light on his personality.

"In the locker room, he was a normal guy who came in the morning, said hello, and took care of his own business. He was closest to Séverin Tatolna and Landing Sagna, which is quite understandable, as one is from the Central African Republic and the other from Senegal, where French is also an official language," revealed Šimko.

Haiti will kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign overnight from Saturday to Sunday, facing Scotland at 3:00 AM under coach Sébastien Mignié.

The world's attention will primarily be on them next weekend. On Saturday, June 20th, at a similar time (2:30 AM), they will challenge one of the most attractive football national teams – Brazil. The Haitians will conclude their group stage journey on Thursday, June 25th, against Morocco, the reigning African champions.

Haiti currently ranks 84th in the FIFA rankings. This is roughly the same position as Kosovo (78th), which denied Slovak footballers a chance at the 2026 World Cup, or Montenegro (80th), whom Slovakia recently faced.