For Haiti, issues off the field are also a problem.

Since the country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010, armed gangs have been in an ongoing battle with government forces and have seized much of the capital city, Port-au-Prince.

It has left more than a million people homeless and caused widespread food shortages.

From a football perspective, Haiti qualified for the World Cup despite being unable to play any of their qualifiers at home.

Their manager, Frenchman Sebastian Migne, has never been to Haiti as it too dangerous for foreigners to travel there.

But Salbert and the Haiti FA have still managed to convince some big names to represent the country, with the World Cup a major lure.

“The problems in Haiti don’t really have anything to do with it – players refusing to represent countries happens a lot when they are based overseas,” he said. “It is tough at first glance.

“Take the case of Wilson Isidor – he has Haitian roots. We must convince them to play with the heart. That helps with players; the football gives them hope amid the trauma their country faces and helps the team move forwards.”

Salbert’s agency is based in Paris, but he was born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France.

This connection to the region, plus the challenge of working with a beleaguered country like Haiti, drew him in.

“I think football belongs to everyone, and their players have a lot of talent, also a lot of resilience,” he said.

“They have a lot of skills, which I like. There are a lot of Haitian communities in Guadaloupe so I know a lot about the personalities.”