HISPANIOLA'S FIRST DERBY IN 13 YEARS!

Relations on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east, are already fraught enough.

But tensions were ramped up even further last week by the events that unfolded at the first football match between the countries in 13 years.

So why is the geopolitical situation on Hispaniola unlike almost anywhere else in the world? What happened at that CONCACAF Nations League clash to spark a diplomatic backlash? And how often do two countries on the same island meet on the football pitch?

Plus, Caribbean countries leave their Central American counterparts trailing in their wake. And diaspora recruitment continues to change the face of international football.

Join us on to listen to all our podcasts early and ad-free on your platform of choice. Bonus podcasts are also released every Monday with a selection of special stories saved especially for our subscribers. Up this week: minnow magic in the Coupe de France.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:25 – Hispaniola’s complex geopolitical context

03:58 – Crowd rush, stadium ban & diplomatic backlash

09:15 – The match: Dominican Republic 1-4 Haiti

11:53 – Shared island derbies around the world

17:50 – CONCACAF Nations League highlights