Advocaat leads Curaçao into ‘impossible’ dreamland

RICARDO MAKYN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Curaçao fans show their jubilation after the decisive draw with Jamaica

The Caribbean island nation is the smallest to reach the World Cup thanks to veteran coach and diaspora players

‘It’s not really sunk in yet. 

What if we do get England? 

If we get Brazil? 

It will be phenomenal’

20 Nov 2025 - The Guardian

Will Unwin

The delay in Dick Advocaat becoming Curaçao’s head coach might have been ominous but instead it was the foundation for glory. Frustrated by the national federation’s financial problems, he deferred starting until January 2024, when the problems were resolved and players paid, paving the way for a historic World Cup qualifying campaign.

Curaçao will be the smallest nation – by land area and population – to play at the World Cup after their 0-0 draw in Jamaica on Wednesday. The Caribbean island has a population of 156,000, sinking the previous record holders, Iceland, which has about 400,000 inhabitants. Last month Cape Verde were confirmed as surprise tournament debutants but the African nation is almost 10 times bigger by area than the former Dutch colony, indicating the level of achievement by Advocaat and his squad.

“It’s an impossibility that is made possible,” the winger Kenji Gorré says from the team hotel in Jamaica after two hours’ sleep. “It’s literally impossible for such a small island, such a small 150,000 population, and now to go to the biggest pinnacle of football is unbelievable.”

Advocaat initiated contact with Curaçao about the job, knowing that by the time the tournament came around he would be 78. That could be another bit of history because Advocaat may become the oldest coach in the tournament’s history, surpassing Otto Rehhagel, who was 71 years and 317 days old when he oversaw Greece’s third and final group game in 2010.

Advocaat was joined by his long-time assistant Cor Pot but there was also a desire to maintain some local knowledge. The former Huddersfield and Barnsley midfielder, and Kenji’s father, Dean Gorré was kept on the staff, having worked as the interim head coach.

“It’s been amazing,” Kenji Gorré says. “To experience going to the World Cup with my dad being the coach and my dad leading us to the World Cup, it’s something that was only a dream. These are things that were dreamt of when I was young. With God all things are possible and you can see that even with a faith of a size as a mustard seed, you know, God can do a miracle.”

Advocaat was unfortunately absent from Kingston, having returned to the Netherlands to deal with a personal matter. When he arrived last year he set about making the national setup more professional and instilling a desire to avoid defeat at all costs. Few know better how to run camps and qualifiers. This is Advocaat’s 10th spell in charge of a men’s national side, his previous appointments being the Netherlands (three times), the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia and Iraq.

A key part of Advocaat’s plan to take Curaçao to the next level was to integrate members of the diaspora. In years gone by the Netherlands internationals Patrick van Aanholt, Gregory van der Wiel and Jetro Willems were eligible to play for Curaçao, and the current Netherlands players Jurriën Timber and Justin Kluivert have Curaçaoan heritage. Most of the squad were born in the Netherlands, including the starting XI from the decisive draw on Tuesday night.

There is plenty of experience. The defender Armando Obispo has played in the Champions League for PSV, as has the striker Jürgen Locadia, who cost Brighton £15m in 2018 but is unemployed after leaving the Spanish fourth-tier side Intercity in the summer. Three of the squad play in the English Football League, including the former Manchester United midfielder Tahith Chong, the only squad member born on the island, who moved to Sheffield United from Luton in August.

Kenji Gorré, who has 35 caps, moved to England when his dad joined Huddersfield in 1999. The younger Gorré came through the ranks at Manchester United before embarking on a nomadic career taking in Portugal, Qatar and now Israel. “It’s not really sunk in yet,” he says with his Mancunian twang. “What if we do get England? What if we do get Holland? What if we do get Brazil? It will be phenomenal.”

Curaçao, situated north of Venezuela, is no longer a colony but remains within the kingdom of the Netherlands. Their first international was in 2011, having previously played as the Territory of Curaçao until the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved.

In the opening group phase they had a 100% record, defeating St Lucia, Aruba, Barbados and most notably Haiti, who will also be in North America next summer. In the third round the more established nations of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago stood in their path in a group that also included Bermuda. Kenji Gorré scored in the crucial 2-0 home victory against Jamaica last month and Bermuda were thrashed 7-0 to boost confidence going into the decider. Fortitude got them through, even though there were nerves when Jamaica were awarded an injury-time penalty that was overturned after a video assistant referee consultation. Curaçao finished top of group B and delirium greeted the final whistle.

“All the emotions were flying up in the air. He goes to the VAR and he says ‘no penalty’,” says Kenji Gorré. “My heart just dropped again and we were like, wow, we are going to the World Cup. This is meant to be.”