Haiti boss Sebastien Migne has admitted he's losing his battle to persuade former Celtic hero Odsonne Edouard to line up for the Caribbean nation against Scotland in the opening World Cup crunch.
Scotland face the minnows in the opening game of the tournament in Boston, with Haiti qualifying for their first tournament since 1974 despite not having played a home game in their own country for four years due to civil unrest.
Their French boss Migne announced he would try to persuade Edouard - who remains France Under 21's all-time top scorer to - switch international allegiances and play for them in the World Cup.
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Edoaurd has enjoyed an excellent season with Lens - who are battling it out with PSG for the Ligue 1 title - after scoring nine goals.
But, after holding talks with Edouard, Migle isn't confident of tempting the striker, who netted 57 league goals in just 78 starts for Celtic in a four-year spell before completing a £18 million move to Crystal Palace in 2021.
He said: "Technically speaking, Odsonne is a top-level striker. He's one of the best forwards in our league. And any coach would love to work with him. He would bring added value to my squad.
"But he still clearly has his sights set on the French national team.
"From that point on, the debate is closed.
"He's waiting for a World Cup squad announcement for France, so then Haiti would only be a backup option, at least for now, as far as he's concerned.
"For me, I need players who are completely focused.
"And if a player isn't 200% convinced by the project, it's better to move on."
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