Curaçao head coach Dick Advocaat believes his side’s memorable FIFA World Cup debut should serve as a platform to attract more eligible players to represent the Caribbean nation in future competitions.
The Dutch manager made the appeal after Curaçao’s campaign ended with a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in Philadelphia, a result that confirmed their elimination from Group E.
Although disappointed to leave the tournament, Advocaat insisted the experience had shown his players could compete against some of the world’s strongest nations. He now wants to build on that progress by strengthening the squad with additional talent.
“We have to try to find more players who would like to play for Curaçao,” Advocaat told reporters after the match.
The veteran coach believes expanding the player pool is the next logical step if Curaçao are to continue narrowing the gap on football’s established powers.
World Cup proves Curaçao belong
Despite opening the tournament with a heavy defeat to Germany, Curaçao recovered impressively by holding Ecuador to a goalless draw before producing another spirited display against Ivory Coast.
Advocaat praised his squad’s courage throughout a group that featured three vastly higher-ranked opponents.
“They played against real world teams, Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast,” he said.
“They played with full enthusiasm and a lot of courage. I think that was very important.”
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The 78-year-old admitted quality ultimately proved decisive, particularly against Ivory Coast, whose attacking players punished the few mistakes Curaçao made.
“Their players have much more quality,” he explained. “That’s the difference.”
Building for the future
Rather than viewing the campaign as the end of a remarkable journey, Advocaat sees it as the beginning of a new chapter for Curaçao football.
He acknowledged that certain positions still require improvement but believes adding more eligible players particularly those with Curaçao heritage playing abroad could significantly raise the team’s level.
“I see the future positively,” he said.
“But a few positions have to get better. We have to try to find those players so we can play easier.”
Advocaat suggested the current squad often had to work harder than their opponents simply to remain competitive, something he hopes can change with increased depth and quality.
“You have to work so hard to get results. The opponents can play much easier. We have to improve that.”
A foundation to build on
Curaçao’s first World Cup campaign ended without a place in the knockout rounds, but the team earned widespread admiration for their resilience.
Their goalless draw with Ecuador secured the nation’s first-ever World Cup point, while goalkeeper Eloy Room’s heroics became one of the stories of the group stage.
Advocaat believes those achievements can now inspire more footballers eligible to represent Curaçao to commit to the national team as the country begins planning for future World Cup qualification campaigns.
“We qualified for the World Cup, and when you see how the players performed here against three world teams, they did a great job,” he said.
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