Report: Haiti's place in Caribbean Cup fifth-place playoff is confirmed

The Haiti Football Federation reports deliberations are complete over the future of the third spot in January's Caribbean Football Union Gold Cup qualifying playoff tournament: Les Grenadiers are in.

A disgraceful absence of clarity over the rules of the last round of 2017 Caribbean Cup qualifying created a bizarre situation in which both Haiti and Antigua and Barbuda could cite regulations supporting their respective claims to be regarded as the third-best second-placed team emerging from the final group stage of the CFU's competition.

Both teams knew they weren't advancing any further in Caribbean Cup, and had not automatically qualified for the 2017 Gold Cup. But both were hoping for a shot at the consolation prize: a place in the three-team group that will produce a CONCACAF representative to play-off against the fifth-placed team in the 2017 Copa Centroamericana for a final Gold Cup berth.

Per the FHF's Facebook page, the region's administrators have made a decision. Haiti's case has been deemed more compelling than that of Antigua and Barbuda (again).

Les Grenadiers will join Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago for a mini-tournament to be staged in Trinidad in January 2017.

The New York Red Bulls' Derrick Etienne has recently broken into the Haiti Men's National Team, and will be hoping for the early Christmas gift of another call-up.