Overview:
Haiti star striker Batcheba Louis has signed with Birmingham City Women from FC Fleury 91 in France’s top flight. With 25 goals in 74 matches at Fleury and 33 in 26 for Haiti, Louis is a much-needed addition to the WSL2 side.
Haitian international soccer forward Batcheba Louis, 28, has signed with Birmingham City Women in the English Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2), sealing her move from French Division 1—Arkema Première Ligue— club FC Fleury 91. The two parties did not disclose the contract term or the transfer fee for Louis, whose market value —an estimate of her worth—is listed at about $100,000.
“I’m really looking forward to discovering this league because it’s all new to me,” Louis, who turned 28 on June 15, said when she arrived in England. “I’ve seen the players play before, but I’m happy and I’m very excited to get started.”
The move, announced by the second-division club on Aug. 26, marks a new milestone in Louis’s ever-growing career. With this contract, the former Port-au-Prince AS Tigresses becomes the first Haitian woman soccer player to sign with a club in either division in England. She follows in the footsteps of the Haitian men’s national team top striker Duckens Nazon, who had a stint at the English Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017.
After the signing was formalized, Louis shared her excitement in a video on the club site.
“I noticed that they [club] have a good project, which is very ambitious. I see myself completely in it, to learn and to bring everything I have, too.”
The forward could make her debut against Bristol City at the start of the new WSL2 season on the weekend of Sept. 6-7. She will wear the number 29.
A promising star continues to rise
Louis’s professional path began in 2013 at AS Tigresses, where she won four titles in the mid-2010s. With the Port-au-Prince side, she earned top scorer honors in three consecutive years, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. Since making her international debut in 2014, Louis has scored an impressive 33 goals in just 26 appearances, making her Haiti Women’s top goal scorer.
In 2018, she followed scouts to France, joining Issy and rising quickly to the top division. A prolific scorer at club and national levels, Louis netted 25 goals in 74 appearances for Fleury 91 during her three seasons. She had previously impressed at GPSO 92 Issy, scoring nine goals in 10 matches to help the team win promotion to Première Ligue in 2020, and becoming the leading international scorer in the team’s history.
I’m happy with the project… I see myself completely in it, to learn and to bring everything I have, too.”
Batcheba Louis
A proven striker, she is part of Haiti’s golden generation of women’s players, who have qualified the country for two World Cups, at both junior and senior levels, for the first time ever. Louis led the national team’s offense in the 2018 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in France and in the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Making room for new blood
By leaving the French side FC Fleury 91, which finished fifth in the Première Ligue last season, she left the key striker position she held in Fleury 91’s attacking lineup during the past three seasons to her compatriot and young star, 18-year-old Lourdjina Etienne, who signed with the club on July 15.
The English club’s signing of Louis, a native of Quartier-Morin in northern Haiti, is a move aimed at strengthening the Blues’ attack as they seek to challenge for promotion.
Haiti’s vast talent promising for nation
For Les Grenadières, Louis’s move reflects the growing impact of Haitian talent abroad and her continued influence on the national squad.
As the Haitian national team prepares to follow a crucial roadmap starting in November for a journey leading to the 2027 World Cup, 2028 Olympics and 2029 Concacaf Gold Cup, it will rely on all its firepower.
Having faced setbacks in recent months, Haiti needs to regain momentum through unity, physical sharpness and tactical discipline while navigating administrative and logistical constraints. But with moves like Louis’, which will sharpen her skills with quality competition and training in the English WSL2, the Haitians may very well have an advantage in the upcoming international competitions.