NOS Football•
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Franklin Stoker
football editor
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Franklin Stoker
football editor
Curaçao sees World Cup dream getting bigger and bigger: ‘This is our chance’
The singing and dancing football players of Curaçao were a hit on social media last weekend after the surprising victory over Jamaica. The island is now completely under the spell of the World Cup dream. “You normally only experience this once in your life.”
Captain Leandro Bacuna led the celebrations on Friday. With smooth movements he led Curaçao’s victory dance, but the former player of Aston Villa and FC Groningen, among others, soon changed his mind.
After all, the battle for the World Cup ticket is far from over, he reminded his teammates. “If we lose points against Trinidad and Tobago, then we have gained nothing from that victory over Jamaica. We can laugh, scream and roar, but in the end it’s all about the next match,” said Bacuna.
With the victory, Curaçao took over the lead in the group from Jamaica and has everything in its own hands to realize the Antillean sports wonder.
The Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad is completely sold out again on Tuesday evening with 10,000 people in the stands when Curaçao plays its fourth match in the qualifying series. It is a huge contrast with the initial phase of the qualifying campaign in June 2024. The team of national coach Advocaat then played in front of barely 4,000 people.
The entire island has now embraced the team. “You can feel from the people here on the street that belief in the World Cup is growing,” says Bacuna. “This is the opportunity, we can really achieve it. But we still have to do it. I think it’s great for the people here.”
According to the 34-year-old Bacuna, the enormous team spirit is one of Curaçao’s greatest weapons. Eating together in a ‘normal’ restaurant among the people, singing and dancing in an open bus and having a lot of fun together. “We have a close group, we are actually a big family.”
How Advocaat slowly embraced the Antillean vibe: ‘This is who we are’
The once strict Lawyer had to get used to the relaxed island life. A strict training regime such as he previously applied at Oranje, PSV or FK Zenit, among others, would have a lot less effect on the players of Curaçao.
According to Bacuna, the lawyer initially tried it. “He wanted to make everything a bit professional, like a different bus. And he wanted us to no longer eat in public, because all the people came up to him for a photo. He didn’t like that. He preferred to sit in a room together.”
Caribbean soul
But the now 78-year-old Lawyer quickly realized that the Caribbean soul should not be taken out of this selection. “As a group we said to him: this is how we have always done it, this is who we are. He accepted it, because he really wants to achieve something great with us. But at first he didn’t really like it.”
Yet, according to Bacuna, ‘Mr. Advocaat’ is currently the perfect coach for Curaçao. “He is a strict man, but also someone who has an open heart when you talk to him one on one. That is just very nice.”
Advocaat ultimately bowed to the wishes of his selection and gave the group a degree of freedom that appears to work. But beware, the strict Dick Advocaat is never far away. “The group of players has certain traditions that they would like to keep. As long as they perform, I have no problem with that,” said Advocaat.
Lawyer believes in Curaçao’s World Cup dream: ‘Three games will lose the stakes’
With the increasing pressure on the selection of Curaçao, the experienced resident of The Hague seems to be the right man in the right place. Now it is mainly a matter of Advocaat keeping his players razor sharp.
Achieving the World Cup dream is what it’s all about now. “I said to the group of players: ‘You normally only experience this once in your life. We are so close, with three games to go.’ Because that’s what it’s all about: three matches determine whether we go to the World Cup or not. Then you walk anyway the posts from the field?”
