Duckens Nazon experiences the attacks up close, has to leave an airplane, and flees Iran by minibus. How the 31-year-old striker describes those hours.
Haitian international Duckens Nazon says he fled the attacks on Iran in dramatic fashion. The 31-year-old, who plays for Iranian club Esteghlal FC and has also played for Kayserispor in Turkey, among others, told French broadcaster RMC that he was already on a plane to Istanbul last weekend. “We had to leave the plane in an emergency and were told that the airspace was closed because the bombing had started,” he said.
He took a taxi with his teammate, former Barcelona player Munir El Haddadi, to the center of Tehran. “And then we saw a bomb attack right next to us on the street,” said Nazon, who was born in France. “The rocket had just exploded not far away, but I thought to myself that maybe there wouldn’t be another one in the next minute.”
“Very tired and exhausted”
The striker finally arrived at the border with Azerbaijan in a minibus early on Sunday morning, where he had to wait a little longer but was able to leave the country. After several days, he made it to France. “I’m fine, but I’m very tired and exhausted from this turbulent journey,” Nazon said. “I don’t know what to think right now. I’m just glad to be alive and well.”
Nazon has scored an impressive 44 goals in 74 international appearances for Haiti. He wants to compete with the team at the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer. There, the Caribbean nation will face Scotland (June 14), Morocco (June 20), and record world champions Brazil (June 25).
Previously, long-time second division professional Marko Johansson (formerly Hamburger SV, VfL Bochum, Hansa Rostock, and Eintracht Braunschweig) had also reported on his escape from Iran. The goalkeeper found himself in the middle of the war there last weekend. The 27-year-old Swede fled to his homeland via Turkey on the first day of the Israeli and American air strikes.
