One of his ultimate dreams:' Atlanta's Louicius Don Deedson returns home with Haiti for World Cup

Louicius Deedson, an Atlanta-based player who helped Haiti qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, is scheduled to return to Atlanta on Wednesday. Deedson moved from Haiti to Atlanta as a teenager to pursue soccer and education, and said the move helped him build his career with the support of people around him. One of them was Bruno Kalonji, founder of Kalonji Soccer Academy in Norcross and Deedson’s former coach, who described Deedson’s dream of playing in the tournament. Haiti earned the qualification with Deedson contributing a goal in the final against Nicaragua. Kalonji said he used to joke about Deedson representing the United States, because few expected Haiti to qualify. The article also notes that due to violence and political unrest, Haiti has not hosted a true home match for more than five years. Kalonji and Deedson said the achievement could boost positive attention toward Haiti and inspire young players.