Dominican Republic bans Haiti football team from using its stadiums

The Dominican Football Federation issued the ban on Friday following crowd disturbances at a Nations League fixture contested between the two island neighbours. The decision came after spectators clashed during the match, prompting authorities to take action against further matches involving the Haitian squad on Dominican soil.

The ban represents an escalation in tensions between the two nations' football programmes and marks a significant disruption to regional competition schedules. The Concacaf Nations League, which encompasses teams from the Caribbean and Central America, had scheduled further fixtures between the rivals.

The incident underscores growing concerns about fan behaviour at Caribbean football venues and broader diplomatic friction between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola. Authorities in Santo Domingo have not indicated whether the ban would be lifted pending improvements to security protocols or other measures.

Concacaf, the regional football confederation governing North American, Central American and Caribbean football, has not yet issued a statement on the ban's implications for the competition schedule or any potential disciplinary measures.