Duckens Nazon: Haiti’s record scorer to face Scotland in the World Cup and escape Iran

With domestic football suspended in Iran due to the ongoing conflict, Najon is following a separate training program in preparation for the World Cup.

The Haiti squad has been the hero to lead the nation back to football’s grandest stage, where they will be making their second appearance in the finals.

Najan admitted the players were now “part of the country’s history” but insisted they would “play without too much pressure” starting with their opener against Scotland.

“We are ambassadors for our country and we know we have a responsibility,” he said. “We know young people look up to us as role models.

“But we don’t have to put too much pressure on ourselves and, when we play for our country, it’s a mission and we do it with passion and love.”

On loan from Belgian club Sint-Truiden to St Mirren for the second half of the 2018–19 season, Najon made “a story” in Scotland. It was short-lived though.

The forward played 12 matches, scoring twice, but said he was “not ready for that kind of aggression and combat” in Scottish football, with the weather also playing a part.

“I remember one game we had sun, snow and rain,” he recalled. “After that, I was like, OK, I’m done.”

Weather is unlikely to be a problem for Nazon this summer in North America. The striker, a friend of Scotland defender Dominic High – with whom he played at Coventry – however, raised concerns about ticket price hikes for upcoming World Cup matches.

“There’s only one thing going through my mind – it’s the price of the ticket,” he says. “Hopefully it doesn’t affect the crowd and the people coming to the stadium, because that’s the atmosphere we want.

“We want this energy around us. I’m looking forward to seeing Scottish people and Haitian people in the stadium. It’s going to be important.”