Willemstad scored 2-0 in a sold-out Ergilio Hato Stadium against Jamaica, coached by former FC Twente coach Steve McClaren. Curaçao has thus displaced the Jamaicans from first place in the group.
After three matches, Advocaat’s team leads Group B with seven points. Jamaica has collected one point less in three matches. On Wednesday, Curaçao will play a home game with Trinidad and Tobago, which is now third with four points.
Historic World Cup debut beckons for Curaçao
World Cup qualification would be an unprecedented success for Curaçao, which has never been present at a World Cup final round. It would be very special for Advocaat to take the Caribbean island to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. This would make him by far the oldest national coach in the history of the World Cup. In 1994, Advocaat was present for the first time as national coach at a World Cup final round, when the tournament was also held in the United States. Advocaat then failed with the Dutch national team in the quarter-finals due to a 3-2 defeat against the eventual winner Brazil.
Curaçao had two debutants against Jamaica: PSV player Armando Obispo and Sontje Hansen from Middlesbrough. The basis was further formed by the clubless Eloy Room (including ex-Vitesse and ex-PSV), Shurandy Sambo (Sparta), Juriën Gaari (Abha Club in Saudi Arabia), ex-PSV player Joshua Brenet (Livingston), Leandro Bacuna (Bandirmaspor), Livano Comenencia (FC Zürich), Juninho Bacuna (Gaziantepspor), Jearl Margaritha (SK Beveren) and the also clubless Jürgen Locadia (including ex-PSV).
Opening goal Comenencia
Advocaat’s team started the match great. The home team’s dominance was expressed in the score after fifteen minutes by ex-PSV player Comenencia in the sold-out Ergilio Hato Stadium. The FC Zürich player hit the target with a long shot.
Kenji Gorré (Maccabi Haifa), who came on for Hansen halfway through, scored the 2-0 after 68 minutes. Jamaica thought they could score the tying goal through Richard King, but the VAR canceled that goal.
Jamaica was seen in advance as the favorite to win the group and qualify for the World Cup as number 69 in the FIFA World Ranking, but after three matches they have to chase Curaçao, which is 84th on that list.