Duckens Nazon: From helping Haiti to the World Cup to escaping Iran

Duckens Nazon's life has been a rollercoaster lately. From helping Haiti qualify for their first World Cup since 1974 to fearing for his life during his escape from conflict in Iran, where he plays for Esteghlal. The 32-year-old, who spent six months with St Mirren in Scotland in 2019, is now focused on surprising the country he briefly called home. As Haiti's record goalscorer with 44 goals in 78 caps, starting in his first World Cup match in 52 years against the Scots will be a highlight for the forward, who claims his life was saved by a SIM card during his recent evacuation from Iran.

Nazon planned to leave Iran on the day the Israeli-US attacks began, but was taken off the flight for security reasons. Meanwhile, his wife from Morocco - a country that will also face Haiti in their group stage match along with Scotland and Brazil - and their four children were safe in France, where the former Coventry City player was born. Nazon is grateful his family was not involved in his "crazy" evacuation trip, during which he saw bombs falling just 100 meters away before eventually escaping through Azerbaijan.

Speaking on the BBC's 'Sacked in the Morning' podcast, he said: "I was about to get on a plane to Istanbul or Paris when the steward told everyone they had to get off because the war had started. Imagine having your wife and children with you in that situation. If you're alone I wouldn't say I'm not interested, but you're more relaxed and you make quicker decisions."


Regarding the complications at the Iran-Azerbaijan border, he added: "I was stuck at the border for maybe 48 hours. They turned me away, sent me back to Iran and I slept at the border. But I was lucky because before the war started I had bought an eSIM. Then the internet in Iran was cut off. So I had no contact and prayed that I would get some signal at the border - and it worked. This saved my life. I was able to talk to the French embassy and they helped me get my passport. They spoke to the Azerbaijani forces and then I was able to get out."

With domestic football in Iran suspended due to the ongoing conflict, Nazon had to undertake an individual training program in preparation for the World Cup. The Haitian team has become heroes for returning the country to football's premier stage, taking part in only the second time in the finals. Nazon acknowledges that the players are now "part of the country's history" but insists they will play without "additional pressure", starting with their opener against Scotland. “We are ambassadors of our country and we know we have a responsibility,” he says. "We know that the young people also see us as examples. But we don't have to put extra pressure on ourselves and when we play for our country, it is more of a mission and we do it with passion and love."

During his time at Belgian club Sint-Truiden's St Mirren in the second half of the 2018-19 season, Nazon had "a story" in Scotland. However, it was short-lived. The attacker played 12 games and scored twice, but indicated that he was "not ready for that."this aggression and fighting” in Scottish football, while the weather also played a role. “I remember we had one game with sun, snow and rain,” he recalls. “After that I thought, OK, I'm done.”

Weather likely won't be an issue for Nazon this summer in North America. However, the striker, a friend of Scotland defender Dom Hyam - with whom he played at Coventry - expressed concern about the high ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup matches. “There's only one thing that starts going through my head – it's the ticket prices,” he says. “Hopefully this won't affect the crowd and the people coming to the stadium because we want this atmosphere. We want this energy around us. I'm looking forward to seeing Scottish people and Haitian people in the stadiums. This is going to be important.