Haiti held its breath for nearly two hours as its troubles seemed to fade with the promise of its first World Cup qualification since 1974.

Forgotten ever so briefly was the violence, hunger and homelessness after the win against Nicaragua on Tuesday that sent Haiti to the World Cup for just the second time in the country's history.

Shouts in Haitian Creole of “Grenadye, alaso!” filled the country's streets, homes and makeshift shelters as fans urged their team, the Grenadiers, to attack.

Haiti didn’t just need a win over Nicaragua; it wanted to prove that despite the multiple crises weighing the country down, it could still pull through and hold its head high like it has throughout its troubled history.

Euphoria remained high on Wednesday as young boys met for soccer practice with renewed energy and dreams of becoming professional players.

They gathered at Park Saint Teresein in the capital, Port-au-Prince, under the watchful eye of coach Jean Marcus Estana, a former professional player for the Haitian national team.

Estana is not hopeful about the future of soccer in Haiti.

He says there are not enough soccer fields, and many soccer schools have been destroyed.

"I want the state to take responsibility and to provide support to young people so that they can develop their game," said Estana

Lian Tibule, 14, dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.

“Soccer is my passion. I want to become a professional footballer and play for the national team, to go to the World Cup and win it for my country,” said Tibule.

The players have spent most of their childhood supporting other teams in the World Cup: Brazil, Argentina, and now they can finally support their own country. And hope that Haiti can go far.

AP video shot by: Pierre Luxama