Melchie Dumornay Gives Haiti The X Factor

Teenager Melchie Dumornay could be the player that makes a difference for Haiti as they hope to spring a surprise in their debut appearance at the Women’s World Cup.

The 19-year-old has signed for Olympique Lyonnais, one of Europe’s most successful women’s teams, and she will head to the July 20-August 20 tournament in Australia and New Zealand brimming with confidence after helping Haiti seal World Cup qualification.

Dumornay’s two goals led Haiti to a 2-1 victory over Chile in the inter-continental playoffs in February as she displayed her calibre once again, proving why is she an important component of the team.

Solid, quick and skilful, Dumornay adds strength to the Haiti team and can pose a threat to opponents.

Coach Nicolas Delepine says he is lucky to have her in the squad.

“Having Melchie is key. She gives us the X factor,” Delepine said, according to an interview with FIFA+ on Monday.

“When there’s not much at all between teams, you’re looking for her to do something. There are other stars in the side alongside her who can pop up and get her the ball, so that she can be the difference. It’s a pleasure (to work with her), not just in matches but every day because she’s an outstanding person as well as a great player.

“We want her to go and enjoy herself because when she’s happy and fulfilled on the pitch, something always happens. She’s also one of those players who makes her teammates play better and that’s important. It’s an additional threat for our opponents too.”

In addition to Dumornay, skipper Nerilia Mondesir and forward Roselord Borgella are also part of Haiti’s attack.

TOUGH CHALLENGE

Placed in Group D with European champions England, Asian champions China and world number 13 Denmark, Haiti have a mountain to climb at the tournament.

But Delepine has belief in his players, who are not scared of their opponents.

“We’re going there as outsiders and we’ve said that the bigger the mountains and the bigger the challenges, the more beautiful the success. You might think we’re a bit crazy or out of our minds, but we want to go and spring a surprise, maybe a couple and, why not, make the last 16,” he added.

The French coach said the team will focus on two areas – play attacking soccer by piling pressure on the opponent and try to remain organized in the backline.

“As long as we’re disciplined and organized, we’ve got so much energy, weapons and flair in attack that we can take down virtually any team,” he further explained.

“Our biggest strength is obviously our athleticism. We’re explosive and quick, which are pretty unique assets to have in women’s football. We’re also trying to work on our individual skills, which we could do with improving a little bit.”