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Life of late has been a whirlwind of emotions for Duckens Nazon.
From the highest of highs – helping Haiti qualify for their first World Cup since 1974 – to fearing for his life while trying to escape the ongoing conflict in Iran, where he plays his club football for Esteghlal, it has been a turbulent time.
The 32-year-old, who spent six months of a colourful 13-year career – spanning 13 clubs and eight countries – in Paisley with St Mirren in 2019, now has his sights set on stunning the nation he briefly called home.
As Haiti’s record scorer with 44 goals in 76 caps, starting in his country’s first World Cup match in 52 years against the Scots will cap off a wild spell for the striker, who claims his life was saved by a SIM card during his recent evacuation from Iran.
‘I watched bombs drop from 100 metres away’
Nazon was set to depart Iran on the day the Israeli-US strikes began, but he was ordered off the flight for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, his wife from Morocco – a nation Haiti will also face in their World Cup group alongside Scotland and Brazil – and their four children were safe in France, where the former Coventry City striker was born.
Nazon is thankful his family were not part of his “crazy” evacuation trip, during which he watched bombs drop from just 100 metres away before finally escaping via Azerbaijan.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sacked in the Morning podcast, he said: “I was about to take a plane to go to Istanbul or Paris, then the steward told everybody to get off because the war had started.
“Imagine you have your wife and your children by your side in that situation. If you’re alone, I wouldn’t say I don’t care about my life, but you are more relaxed and taking decisions is easier and faster.”
On the complications he experienced at the Iran-Azerbaijan border, he added: “I was stuck at the border for maybe 48 hours. They refused me, sent me back to Iran and I slept at the border.
“But I was so lucky because, before the war started I bought an eSIM. After that, they cut the internet in Iran.
“So I had no contact and I was praying that when I reached the border I would get some signal – and it worked. This saved my life.
“I could talk to the French embassy and they helped me to get my passport. They spoke to the Azerbaijani forces and then I got out.”
St Mirren, Scottish weather & ticket prices
SNSWith domestic football in Iran suspended because of the ongoing conflict, Nazon is following an individual training programme to prepare for the World Cup.
The Haiti squad have become heroes for leading the nation back to football’s grandest stage, where they will make just their second appearance at the finals.
Nazon acknowledges that the players are now “part of the country’s history” but insists they will play without “extra pressure”, starting with their opener against Scotland.
“We are ambassadors of our country and we know we have a responsibility,” he says. “We know 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’s more a mission and we do it with passion and with love.”
On loan at St Mirren from Belgian club Sint-Truiden for the second half of the 2018-19 season, Nazon “had a story” in Scotland. It was short-lived, though.
The forward played 12 games, scoring twice, but said he was “not ready for this kind of aggression and fight” in Scottish football, while the weather also played a part.
“I remember one game we had sun, snow and rain,” he recalls. “After this, I was like, OK, I’m done.”
Weather is unlikely to be an issue for Nazon this summer in North America. The striker, a friend of Scotland defender Dominic Hyam – with whom he played at Coventry – did, however, voice concerns about inflated ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup matches.
“There is only one thing that starts to go in my brain – it’s the ticket prices,” he says. “Hopefully this is not going to affect the crowd and 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.”
