E no be small tin wey Curaçao don achieve. Di small island, wey be say e small pass Texel two and half time, don qualify for di World Cup for di first time ever. Dem go face Germany for June 14 for dia first match. But how dis tin happen? Na story wey start over twenty years ago.
For 2004, Raymond Victoria bin get call-up for di national team of di Netherlands Antilles. But di call no make any big impression. Victoria, wey bin play for Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, bin don give up hope say e go play for Oranje. Because im papa born for Curaçao, e fit play for di Antilles. Di plan wey di Antillean football association NAVU give am be say dem dey build a team wey go fit compete for World Cup one day. Victoria decide to join.
Di Antilles never reach World Cup because of political changes for 2010, but Curaçao continue di work as independent country. For November 2025, under coach Dick Advocaat, dem qualify for World Cup for USA, Canada and Mexico. Dem become di smallest country ever to qualify.
To understand how dem succeed, you must go back to early 2000s. For 2003, Henk Duut, assistant coach of di Antillean team, almost return to Netherlands after first training. Dem schedule training for 7pm, but by 7:15 nobody show. By 7:30 only two players come. Dem dey slof, no dey run. Duut vex, call coach Pim Verbeek say e dey come back home. But Verbeek and Jean Francisca, NAVU president, calm am down. Dem tell am say di players dey work during day.
Duut decide to stay. E come up with trick: e shift training to 7:30 but no tell anybody. Di players start to come on time. Di arrival of Verbeek and Duut mark turning point. Before, di team only allow players born on di islands, mostly amateurs. But for 2005 World Cup qualifiers, NAVU change di rules. Dem open di team to players born in Netherlands but with Antillean roots. E no cheap, because dem need to fly di players in and pay dem, but with new sponsors and donations from Gregory Elias, dem fit afford am.
Verbeek and Duut begin search for talent. Dem first target top players like Robin Nelisse and Civard Sprockel, but dem no want. So dem shift to lower divisions and amateur leagues. Dem go watch matches, ask around. Di Antillean community for Netherlands dey tight, so once dem get one player, di word spread. Dem find about fifteen players wey fit help, like Angelo Cijntje, Rocky Siberie, Giovanni Franken, Brutil Hosé, Raymond Victoria, and Nuelson Wau.
For February 18, 2004, di team play first World Cup qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda. Di field dey bumpy because dem dey use am for cricket. Di preparation no smooth: dem only train once or twice together, and di hotel for Antigua pack. Dem lose di first match 2-0, but six weeks later dem win 3-0. Next round dem face Honduras, a team full of professionals, and dem lose twice. Dem out.
After Verbeek and Duut leave, di process stall. But Remko Bicentini, son of first Antillean professional, continue di search. E be assistant under different coaches, and e dey watch five matches per weekend. E find players like Shanon Carmelia from amateur club and Cuco Martina from RKC. Some players wey first refuse later agree, like Robin Nelisse.
As time go, di level of players increase. For 2016 World Cup qualifiers, dem get Eloy Room from Vitesse and Leandro Bacuna from Aston Villa. Some people complain say di foreign-born players dey take local players spot. So bond president Francisca arrange friendly match between best local amateurs and di professionals from Netherlands. At half time, di professionals lead 6-0. Di argument stop.
For 2016, Patrick Kluivert become coach, and Bicentini remain assistant. Di team fail to qualify for World Cup, but dem win Caribbean Cup for 2017, beating Martinique and Jamaica. Dem also qualify for Gold Cup for first time. Dem lose all group matches, but di exposure attract more players like Brandley Kuwas.
For 2019, dem reach Gold Cup quarterfinal, losing 1-0 to USA. After Francisca leave, new president want big name coach. Dem hire Guus Hiddink, but e leave after two matches due to COVID. Kluivert take over but no succeed. Bicentini return briefly but dem sack am.
For 2023, Gilbert Martina become FFK president. E want Bert van Marwijk, Louis van Gaal, or Fred Rutten. Van Marwijk and Van Gaal refuse because dem retire. Rutten show interest but later decline for personal reasons. E recommend Dick Advocaat. Martina contact Advocaat, and e agree. Martina say, “From that moment I knew we would qualify.”
Advocaat bring efficiency. Di team already dey good, but e teach dem how to get results. More players join: Shurandy Sambo, Riechedly Bazoer, Tahith Chong, Armando Obispo, Sontje Hansen. Team manager Wouter Jansen, wey play for De Graafschap for 2003, see di growth. “Before, a Dutch top amateur was an asset. Now almost everyone in the starting eleven plays Eredivisie or similar level abroad.”
For end of 2025, di dream come true. A draw against Jamaica secure qualification. Di team celebrate all night. Advocaat miss di last match due to family health issues, and Fred Rutten replace am. But when Advocaat family situation stabilize, di players and sponsor want am back. Rutten step down, and Advocaat return. E tell new players wey come after qualification say dem must wait until after World Cup.
Di qualification don inspire new generation. For Sithoc, youth team dey get new registrations every week, even four and five-year-olds. Wilmar Samboe say, “Children see that football offers great opportunities for Curaçao.” Gersinio Constancia from Jong Colombia agree: “Kids look up to Bacuna brothers, Tahith Chong, Tyrese Noslin. That makes their ambitions more realistic.”
But both coaches warn say talent alone no enough. Dem need better fields, lighting, training materials. Constancia say dem need to modernize youth training, like using smaller fields for young children. “This is a unique moment. If government, federation, clubs, and sponsors cooperate, we can benefit for years.”
